Local curlers win OFSAA championship with undefeated run for SDSS
- Apr 2
- 2 min read
By Gary West
The Stratford District Secondary School (SDSS) girls curling team returned home with gold medals and the OFSAA championship banner after an impressive undefeated performance at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championship in Thunder Bay.
The SDSS squad finished the tournament with a perfect 7-0 record to capture the school’s first-ever OFSAA girls curling championship title.
Skip Addison Hyatt and vice Brooklyn Hyatt – both of whom live on their family farm south of Poole – and second Deanna Halls and lead Hailey Peters – from the Tavistock and Stratford areas – combined strong shot-making and teamwork throughout the multi-day competition, defeating teams from across Ontario to secure the gold medal.
The Stratford team dominated round-robin play, outscoring opponents 42-8 while earning wins over St. Mary’s College from Sault Ste. Marie, Bishop Allen Academy Catholic Secondary School from Toronto, Milton District High School and Norwell District Secondary School from Palmerston. SDSS entered the playoff round ranked first overall.
In the quarterfinals, SDSS defeated Nantyr Shores Secondary School of Innisfil by an 11-6 score to advance to the semifinal.
Saturday’s semifinal against Frontenac Secondary School from Kingston proved to be one of the closest games of the tournament. The two teams had previously met twice at OFSAA, with Frontenac winning both matchups.
According to the coaching staff, the semifinal was a back-and-forth contest that came down to the final end. Holding two stones in scoring position, SDSS narrowly secured the victory when Frontenac’s final draw attempt caught a guard and rolled into the rings. A measurement determined the Stratford team had won by less than a centimetre, avoiding an extra end and advancing to the championship game.
In the final, SDSS faced École secondaire catholique Thériault from Timmins in another tightly contested match. With last rock advantage in the eighth end, the Stratford rink relied on precise teamwork to secure the winning point.
An accurate line call from vice Brooklyn Hyatt, combined with strong sweeping from Peters and Halls, allowed skip Addison Hyatt’s final shot to move the opposing stone just far enough to score the single point needed for the win.
Coaches Brian Anderson and Shane Restall said the team appreciated the support they received throughout the season from the school community, families and supporters, as well as the hospitality shown by the Thunder Bay host community.
Coach Paul Hyatt was unable to attend the championship but shared his pride in the team’s accomplishment after years of curling together.
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