Dennis Watts rink 4-0, capturing “A” qualifier at PEI Mixed, and advancing to “B” qualifier

The Dennis Watts rink from Summerside’s Silver Fox Curling Club is undefeated at the eight-team 2022 PEI Mixed Curling Championship being played at the Crapaud Community Curling Club, Watts and his team of Jaclyn Reid, Terry Arsenault, and Alison Griffin have won their first four games, including the “A” section qualifying game for the championship round, and have advanced to the “B” section qualifier at 10 am Saturday against clubmate Nick Blanchard and his team. Blanchard has a 3-1 win-loss record, losing only to Watts. Watts won the PEI Mixed in 2017, also playing with Reid and Griffin (second was Erik Brodersen).

Dennis Watts at the 2017 Canadian Mixed – photo for Curling Canada by Jeremy and Jessica Bergen

Team Watts won their opener 10-5 over Crapaud’s Calvin Smith, (2-2), beat Blanchard 6-4 in game 2, defeated Montague’s Shane MacDonald (2-2) foursome by a 7-2 score in the “A” qualifier, and knocked three-time defending champion Jamie Newson (2-2) out of the “B” Qualifier with a 7-1 score after 5 ends, bringing the game to an early conclusion.

Blanchard beat Philip MacDonald of Montague 6-4 in his 1st game, lost to Watts in his second match, then shaded Larry Richards 10-9, and beat Montague’s Shane MacDonald 7-2.

Should Watts (who won the “A”) also win the “B” qualifier in the modified triple knockout draw, he’ll have a big advantage in the two-game championship round on Sunday at 10 am and 2 pm, as a win in either game will give him the championship, while his opponent would have to win both games. Should Watts win all three section qualifiers, he would be declared the champion without a championship round.

Montague’s Larry Richards and Cornwall’s Robbie Doherty rinks are now out of the event, following their third loss on Friday evening. Chase MacMillan and Rachel MacLean, whose team dropped out prior to the event, were substituting for Doherty and for Amanda Power on Team Doherty on Friday.

The “C” semi-finals go at 2 pm Saturday, with Blanchard facing the winner of a 10 am game between Jamie Newson and Philip MacDonald, and Watts taking on the winner of a game between Shane MacDonald and Calvin Smith at the same time. The winners of the semi advance to the “C” qualifier at 6 pm.

The winning team will advance to the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, November 6-12, 2022.

Spectators are not allowed at the PEI Mixed.

Live, end-by-end results are available at: https://peicurling.com/scoreboard/#!/competitions/7380

Here is the revised schedule and draw. There is one lineup change, with Chase MacMillan and Rachel MacLean (who were on the MacMillan team that dropped out prior to the event) in for Robbie Doherty and Amanda Power