KELOWNA, B.C. — The path to a Montana's Brier title remains long for Alberta's Brad Jacobs after he split a pair of qualifier games Friday while back-to-back losses ended Mike McEwen's brief playoff run.
Manitoba's Matt Dunstone beat McEwen 6-5 in the afternoon and Canada's Brad Gushue topped Jacobs 7-4 to earn berths in the Page playoff 1-2 game.
Jacobs rebounded with a 10-6 victory over Nova Scotia's Owen Purcell in the evening to reach the Page playoff 3-4 game.
McEwen's Saskatchewan side was eliminated after a 6-4 loss to Manitoba's Reid Carruthers. A potential five-point swing in the sixth end was the difference.
McEwen tried a double-takeout for three but hit it thin and gave up a steal of two.
"We controlled the game and we outplayed them the entire game," McEwen said. "But we made a catastrophic error."
By losing the early qualifier, Jacobs must claim three more must-win games in a row to raise the tankard.
"It's a very steep mountain to climb," he said.
Jacobs will continue that quest Saturday afternoon against Carruthers. The losing team will be eliminated while the winner advances to the semifinal Sunday against the loser of the 1-2 game.
Gushue and Dunstone, meanwhile, will play Saturday night with the winner advancing directly to Sunday's final.
The latest chapter in the decade-plus Battle of the Brads rivalry was a back-and-forth matchup with singles exchanged over the first six ends.
Jacobs blinked in the seventh when his in-off attempt caught the stone a tad thick leading to a Gushue steal. Gushue forced Jacobs to one in the eighth and the defending champion used hammer in the ninth to score three.
"I think Brad Gushue just proved why he's Brad Gushue," Jacobs said. "I think he probably curled 100 per cent. I don't think he missed a shot. Their whole team played really well. We got outplayed."
All four members of the Gushue rink threw at least 91 per cent with the skip leading the way at 98 per cent.
On the next sheet over, the top-ranked Dunstone was at his fist-pumping best as he used two mid-game pairs to take a 5-3 lead into the seventh end.
After a blank, McEwen was forced to attempt a runback triple but a Dunstone rock jammed for a steal. Trailing by two in the 10th, McEwen sat three to force Dunstone to make a double-takeout for the win.
"We have a very strong belief within this group that when we bring our best stuff, we are really hard to beat," Dunstone said.
Gushue is looking to win the Brier for a record fourth straight time and seventh overall.
Vice Mark Nichols and lead Geoff Walker also have six career national men's curling titles. Brendan Bottcher, who joined the team last fall, is aiming to win the Brier for the second time.
Jacobs was in control against Purcell after jumping out to a 5-1 lead after three ends. Purcell, a Brier rookie, led Nova Scotia to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. He beat Ontario's Sam Mooibroek in the round-robin finale to qualify at 5-3.
Carruthers played his last round-robin game Wednesday night and ended up making the six-team playoff cut with a 6-2 record. He was tied with Northern Ontario's John Epping but got the berth because he won their lone head-to-head meeting.
Now Carruthers is into the final four.
"It almost feels like divine intervention," he said. "Something wild is going on. But we're not going to question it. We're just going to roll with it."
The Brier champions will represent Canada at the March 29-April 6 BKT world men's curling championship in Moose Jaw, Sask.
Jacobs, Nichols, Alberta second Brett Gallant and Dunstone lead Ryan Harnden were named first-team all-stars for the competition. Gushue was on the second-team list with Alberta vice Marc Kennedy, Saskatchewan second Kevin Marsh and Carruthers lead Connor Njegovan.
Ottawa's Rachel Homan won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts last month in Thunder Bay, Ont. She'll wear the Maple Leaf at the March 15-23 LGT world women's curling championship in Uijeongbu, South Korea.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2025.
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
