It took two tries today, but the Mitchell Schut team came out winners over their Cornwall clubmates, skipped by Mitchell’s brother Devin, in the Provincial Under 18 Boy’s Curling Championship, sponsored by PEI Credit Unions, taking place at the Silver Fox in Summerside. Mitchell, who had won two of the three modified triple knockout sections, could have taken the title with a win this morning, but lost after leading 6-1 after 5 ends when his brother came back with a deuce in the sixth, a stolen single in the seventh, and a deuce in the 8th to tie the game 6-all, and then went on to steal three points in the extra for a 9-6 win, forcing the afternoon deciding match.

File photo (L-R): Colin MacKenzie, Liam Kelly, Nick Johnston, Mitchell Schut, coach Lori Robinson

This afternoon’s game was tied at three at the fourth end break, but Mitchell scored a pair of triples in ends 5 and 7 and kept Devin to a single in six to bring the game to handshakes with a 9-4 final score. The Mitchell Schut team, which includes third Nick Johnston, second Liam Kelly, and lead Colin MacKenzie, with coaches Bill Hope and Lori Robinson, along with this morning’s winning Girl’s team from the Cornwall, Charlottetown and Crapaud clubs, skipped by Lauren Ferguson, now advance to the 2018 Canadian Under-18  Boys and Girls Curling Championship, April 9-14 in St. Andrews NB.

Photo (L-R): Coach Roger Gavin, Dylan Moase, Tyler Garnhum, Alex Huestis, Devin Schut

The Devin Schut finalist team also included third Alec Huestis, second Tyler Garnhum, and lead Dylan Moase, with coach Roger Gavin.

The Mitchell Schut rink from the Cornwall Curling Club has a big advantage going into Sunday boy’s play at the PEI Credit Unions Provincial Under 18 Curling Championships being played at the Silver Fox in Summerside. Four boy’s and five girl’s teams are entered.

Left to right: Liam Kelly, Colin MacKenzie, Mitchell Schut

The Schut squad won both the A and B section finals of the boy’s modified triple knockout draw on Saturday, which gives them a big advantage in the championship. If they also win the C final, Sunday at 2 pm, they will be champions without having to play the two-game championship round on Monday at 10 and 2. If another team wins the C, they would have to beat Schut twice on Monday, while a Schut win in either game would give them the title.

Lauren Ferguson (right) delivers a rock,with Lexie Murray (left) and Alexis Burris (centre) getting ready to sweep

On the girl’s side, there were separate winners of the A and B sections, with Cornwall’s Emily Sanderson rink taking the “A” and the Lauren Ferguson foursome from Cornwall, Crapaud, and Charlottetown taking the B.

The winning teams advance to the 2018 Canadian Under-18  Boys and Girls Curling Championship, April 9-14 in St. Andrews NB.

Saturday recap – boys.

The Mitchell Schut rink beat Charlottetown’s Chase MacMillan team 8-2 in the “A” final on Saturday morning, scoring 4 points in the 2nd end. They then took on the team skipped by Mitchell’s older brother Devin in a “B” semi-final. It was a closely fought game, with Devin leading 3-2 coming home. A final end miss by the other Schut team gave Mitchell a winning deuce, without having to throw his last rock. Final score: 4-3. The other B semi saw the young Cruz Pineau team from Summerside, helped out by an older player, Parker MacFadyen, substituting for a regular team member in this event, make a big comeback over MacMillan. Pineau was trailing 5-2 after 7, but tied it with a triple in eight, and stole a single in the 9th for a 6-5 win and a ticket to the B final.

Schut began the B final against Pineau with a triple, and picked up another one in the 7th, ending the game early with a 10-3 score. Schut now plays MacMillan at 10 am Sunday, with Pineau playing Devin Schut. The winners face off in the “C” final at 2 pm.

Saturday recap- girls

The Emily Sanderson team beat the Lauren Ferguson foursome 5-3 in the “A” final, scoring only single points. Ferguson tied the game at 3-3 with a deuce in the fifth and a sixth end single steal, but a pair of Sanderson singles in the final two ends gave her the win. 

The Sydney Howatt Canada Games Training Team beat Cornwall clubmate Clara Jack 10-4 in the morning draw, scoring half of those points in the second end. They then took on Ferguson, the other Canada Games Training Team, in the B semi. This was a very intensely-played game, with Ferguson blanking the first end, and Howatt stealing the second. The teams traded singles in ends three through five, with Ferguson stealing the sixth and Howatt taking the seventh to tie the game at 3-3. A deuce in eight gave Ferguson a 5-3 win to advance them to the “B” final.

The “B” final was a rematch of the “A” final, but with a very different result. The teams traded singles in the first two ends, but then Ferguson took over, following up a four-point third end with a steal of three in the fourth and a stolen deuce in the fifth. It was handshake time, with a final score of 10-1 for Ferguson. The “B”  final win also advanced Ferguson directly to the 2 pm Sunday “C” final against the winner of a 10 am game between Sanderson and Howatt. The Clara Jack and Rachel Maclean rinks are now out of the competition following “C” event losses Saturday.