Locked in Blue Bombers looking to win TVRA Southeast in six-seven ends

St. Mary’s Warrior second Dani Breen (right) checks progress while sweeping a rock toward the house along with vice Victoria Whetham (left). (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Echo Correspondent

Ingersoll DCI Blue Bombers curling coach Mike Bryson does hear his share of teenage slang. But he doesn’t employ it, at least not seriously.

“Only ironically to get pity laughs and scoffs from my students,” he explained.

Bryson did take a rare opportunity to hold forth while looking to his female curling team’s chances at the Thames Valley Regional Athletics Southeast championships on Wednesday, Feb. 25, in Ingersoll.

“As the youth might say, the girls are locked in,” he laughed. “We’d like to win in six…seven ends.”

The Blue Bombers head into the competition with a 5-1 regular season record, backed up with a solid 12-7 win over the St. Thomas Parkside Stampeders in their Wednesday, Feb. 18 one versus two semi-final.

With the loss, the Stampeders will face Tillsonburg Glendale Gemini in an 11 a.m. semi-final. The Gemini downed the Woodstock St. Mary’s Warriors 6-4 in a seesaw three versus four quarter-final on Monday, Feb. 23 in Woodstock.

St. Mary’s had opened scoring with a single point in the first end, recovering with two after giving up three in the second. The Warriors took a 4-3 lead in the fourth, but Tillsonburg tied things up with a singlet in the fifth, locking up a narrow win with steals in the sixth and seventh ends.

“It’s been a big learning experience,” said Warriors second Dani Breen, who enjoyed the tight contest as a good way to wrap up the season, despite the outcome. “Most games, you can tell which way it’s swinging, them or us. Very different today.”

St. Mary’s had finished the regular season in a three-way tie for the fourth and final playoff spot with St. Thomas Central Elgin Titans and St. Joe’s Rams. Coach Richard Murphy elevated Leyah Anthony into the skip position, from where she led the Warriors to back-to-back victories over the Titans and Rams, respectively.

“She has been amazing and confident,” said Murphy. “That doubled our win total for the year and allowed us to play a game we had a chance to win.”

St. Mary’s saved its best curling for the end of the season, he credited in his closing message to the girls.

“I’m really, really proud of how much you improved.”

The Warriors boys team was also eliminated in quarter-final action, dropping a 6-3 decision to the Blue Bombers on Wednesday, Feb. 18. St. Mary’s qualified for the game with a 9-7 three versus four quarter-final win over Parkside the week earlier.

“They kept it close and gave themselves a chance to win in the end,” said Murphy.

The Bombers opened page playoff one versus two quarterfinals on Wednesday, Feb. 11, on the wrong end of a 9-3 decision to Woodstock CI, which had also finished the regular season with a 5-1 record. IDCI won its way back to a finals rematch with the win over St. Mary’s, joining their female counterparts in their respective TVRA Southeast finals.

“It was our goal at the beginning of the year,” said Bryson. “Our fate is in our hands.”

Both Blue Bomber teams have improved both their skills and strategy he said, looking forward to the opportunity to advance to Western Ontario Secondary Schools Athletic Association playdowns with victories. The task will not be easy, given the quality of the opposition.

“It just comes down to who makes the right shots at the right time on the day.”