Ontario curling...so far

Where to start--Ontario

After being away for a bit, I thought I would take a quick look at what has happened in the curling world in Ontario for the months of September and October.

Brad Jacobs and his team didn't seem to miss a beat, as they came out of the gate with a pair of victories.

They won the Stu Sells Tankard on Sept. 6, winning in the final over Kevin Koe.

The field at the Stu Sell Tankard was deep, and included Menard, Gushue, Frans and Kean—as well as a number of teams that are regulars at the Ontario provincials.

During the weekend of Sept. 19-22 at the AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic in Brockville, Jacobs' rink won once again, beating Jeff Stoughton and his team in the final.

The field was strong, with Brad Gushue (he finished third), Niklas Edin, Kevin Martn, Glenn Howard, John Epping, Jean-Michel Menard, Mark Dacey, Pete Fenson and others.

If you know of a tougher field, let me know. With this being the first Shorty Jenkins Classic since he died last year, it must have been a bittersweet event.

At the StuSells Toronto Tankard, held Oct. 11-14 in...um, Toronto....It was Glenn Howard's rink winning in the final over Mike McEwen. Bryan Cochrane and Mike Anderson had a good weekend, finishing tied for third.

Cochrane skips the team, with up and comer Mathew Camm throwing final rocks. This will be a team that can go far if they qualify for provincials. They have a 17-9 record on the Ontario Curling Tour, and that's against top-notch competition.

The StuSells Tankard Toronto had a strong field, with Howard, McEwen, Epping, Gushue, Stoughton and Frans.

The Huron ReproGraphics Oil Heritage Classic took place this past weekend in Sarnia. I planned to go out and check things out, especially considering I was just around the corner watching my son play football and visiting relatives, but didn't make it over to the Sarnia Golf and Curling Club. Jake Higgs won the event, beating Scott McDonald in the final.

Also this weekend, the Challenge Chateau Cartier de Gatineau took place in, um...Gatineau.

Brad Gushue won in the final against Rob Rumfeldt. Another strong field with Menard and Jacobs amongst the teams.