YORKTON - Yorkton Regional High School coach Nathan Bewcyk is pleased with the performance of a school teams in recent provincial action.
Bewcyk noted it was a new format this year with provincials. In prior years it was Round Robin Friday and Playoffs Saturday. This year would be Double Knockout, with Page Playoffs on Saturday. Friday draw times were 10am, 1pm and 4pm. Teams needed to win two games to make it to playoff Saturday! Saturday draw times were 10am (1v2 / 3v4), 1pm (Semi-Final) and 4pm (Gold / Bronze).
鈥淲e (coaches Bewcyk, Barb Woytas and Mandie Foster) couldn鈥檛 be more proud of these two teams,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey have worked so hard all season and it shows.
鈥淭hey have represented the 鈥楲and of Orange鈥� and our community so well.鈥�
Bewcyk noted it was extra special for two players.
鈥淐ongratulations to Mara and Hunter (Vogel and Nagy) as they are two-time provincial medallists. They won Provincial Bronze in their Grade 10 year last year and now Provincial Silver this year,鈥� he said.
The Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association (SHSAA) provincial curling action actually took place March 7 and 8.
Open Mixed competitions took place in Unity and Boys competition was in Wynyard. Two teams from the Yorkton Regional High School qualified for this after winning their Region competition the weekend prior.
The YRHS Mixed team departed from the school loading dock at noon on Thursday to make the long trek to Western Saskatchewan.
The YRHS Boys team made a shorter drive after school to Foam Lake where they would reside when not curling.
The YRHS Mixed Team made up of Mara Vogel (skip), Hunter Nagy (vice), Kolton Yewsuk (second), Nate Wasylenchuk (lead) and Coach Mandie Foster would only need to play two games Friday.
Two very close games, but they came out on top against Swift Current (6-5 final) and the home team, Unity (5-4 final) to clinch a playoff spot in the 1v2 game, explained Bewcyk.
Saturday morning playoff game was against Saskatoon Tommy Douglas 鈥� the winner of this would go directly to the Gold Medal game. The YRHS kept their focus and was able to take the win in another close game (5-4) and the first spot in the Gold Medal game. YRHS would wait for their competitor from the 1 p.m. game.
鈥淟ow and behold, it would be our first competitor of the weekend that would be in the gold medal game with us 鈥� Swift Current,鈥� said Bewcyk.
They were ready for revenge.
Starting the game with hammer and throwing the yellow rocks, YRHS were facing three dreaded red stones on their last rock 鈥� Vogel would do a heavy draw to bump reds back and give up only one point, said Bewcyk.
Later, the game would be tied 2-2 after five ends of play.
Moving onto the sixth end, a couple errors would result in giving up two points.
Scoring only one point in the seventh end, the Raiders would be down by one going home without hammer.
Was it enough to steal in the end and bring it to an extra?
鈥淥ur last rock, we were sitting two in the house already and were bringing another one in. We forced Swift Current to have to draw against three,鈥� said Bewcyk. 鈥淪wift Current鈥檚 skip came out heavy and their plan 鈥楤鈥� was to rub off our rock and roll in. They did just that, resulting in YRHS settling with silver.鈥�
Bewcky note it was 鈥渁 great game played by both teams 鈥� couldn鈥檛 ask for a better provincial final (3-5 final score),鈥� adding 鈥淵RHS had such a great weekend 鈥� you can鈥檛 even be upset with their performance. Top notch curling shots made, forcing their opponents to make difficult shots for their last throws. They played really well all weekend and just throughout their whole season.
鈥淎 huge congratulations goes out to Swift Current on becoming Provincial Champions and our Highway 9 friends from Canora on becoming Provincial Bronze Champions after winning their battle against Saskatoon Tommy Douglas (6-1).鈥�
The Boys Team made up of Kaden Pihach (skip), Jens Vincent (vice), Gage Keller (second), Anthony Dubiel (lead), Coach Nathan Bewcyk and Coach Barb Woytas would have a slightly longer road ahead of them that weekend.
The Boys first game would be against Avonlea 鈥� 鈥渟till unsure about the ice and weight, we would fall behind and couldn鈥檛 come back, starting the event with our first loss (5-8 final) and already brink of elimination,鈥� said Bewcyk.
The Boys would come back fired up for their second game against Melfort, beating them 7-1 after six ends of play.
鈥淲e weren鈥檛 done though,鈥� said Bewcyk. 鈥淥ur final game Friday was against Balgonie. We鈥檇 seen them before 鈥� at our Regional competition the week prior where we barely won (8-7). They would be out for revenge, and they were.鈥�
It would be tied up 3-3 after six ends of play. YRHS would have hammer in the seventh.
鈥淎 few misses from Balgonie that we would capitalize on awarded us three points and the game,鈥� said Bewcyk.
YRHS was moving onto Playoff Saturday.
Saturday morning would be the 3v4 same against Outlook.
YRHS would control the whole game (scoring multiple points with hammer and forcing Outlook to single points when they had hammer).
鈥淲e would win 9-3,鈥� said Bewcyk.
The semi-final game would be against their first opponent; Avonlea.
鈥�(A) redemption game and yes we did redeem ourselves 鈥� 9-3 the final score and a spot into the Gold Medal game against the home team, Wynyard,鈥� said Bewcyk.
鈥淲e already knew this was going to be a close game, but we didn鈥檛 know exactly how close it could be.鈥�
It started very tight 鈥� actually the first six ends did.
YRHS would only score one in the first, Wynyard would blank the second and were force to take one in the third.
In the fourth end, both teams still playing cautious, and YRHS would only score one.
The fifth end would blank and in the sixth end YRHS stole 鈥� the first steal of the game.
Wynyard would respond with two points in the seventh to tie it up.
YRHS would have hammer coming home.
Wynyard would be sitting one buried, and would come down to the last rock -- a draw to the four-foot.
鈥淎n unfortunate crash onto the guards that YRHS could not get rid of throughout the end would result in the home team winning the Provincial Championship and YRHS winning Silver,鈥� said Bewcyk.
鈥淭his was honestly one of the best games I鈥檝e ever watched in a high school final.鈥�
Bewcyk said generally the competition was sharp this year.
鈥淭he boys鈥� provincials had so many amazing teams participating 鈥� the competition level was high,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ven the Coach from the Wynyard team said the competition level has jumped drastically from provincials last year. That鈥檚 what we love to see with the sport.鈥�
As for the YRHS team Bewcyk said the 鈥渢eam played so well all season. They finished their curling season with a record of 16-2. Amazing!
鈥淎gain, such a great performance at provincials, you can鈥檛 even be upset with it. We all know just how difficult it is to get to provincials, let alone make it through the Friday. To become second in the province in your first provincial appearance 鈥� outstanding.
鈥淎 huge congratulations to Wynyard on becoming Provincial Champions and Avonlea on becoming Provincial Bronze Champions.鈥�
Bewcyk also noted it was a bittersweet moment for three members of the boys team who are in their Grade 12 year -- Kaden Pihach, Gage Keller, and Anthony Dubiel.
鈥淭hese three have worked tirelessly to make a provincial appearance,鈥� said Bewcyk who has coached the trio for three year. 鈥淚n their Grade 10 year, they lost out at their Regional Competition in Lampman.
鈥淟ast year, they won District Bronze but weren鈥檛 able to move forward.
鈥淪o this year with those three Grade 12s and Jens (Vincent) in Grade 10, being able to go undefeated at Districts and Regionals, qualify for a spot at Provincials and become second in Saskatchewan, I couldn鈥檛 be more happy for them. Winning provincial silver in the graduation year makes this that much more special for all of us.鈥�
Overall Bewcyk said it was a great season locally sending two teams to provincials and both coming back with Silver Medals.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure when the last time this happened for our school 鈥� maybe this is the first,鈥� he said.
The YHRS coach also thanked the Town of Unity and Town of Wynyard for being great hosts, adding they were great events. He said events of course need supports and he also thanked the sponsors of the Provincial events, SHSAA, the volunteers, and all other organizers that were part of provincials, as well as parents, spectators, family, friends, teammates and community for cheering on the teams.
鈥淭hank you to the organizations in and around Yorkton that helped support these athletes and the high school curling program,鈥� he concluded.
