The St. Joseph’s Catholic Secondary School Panthers boys curling team advanced to the provincial championships after a thrilling victory at the Eastern Ontario Secondary School Athletic Association (EOSSAA) tournament in Deep River.
Competing against Opeongo, Le Sommet, and defending provincial champions Kingston Frontenac in the round-robin, the Panthers finished 2-1, securing key wins over Le Sommet (9-5) and Opeongo (8-7). The Cornwall team then defeated L’Héritage (8-5) in the semifinals to advance to the championship game.
The final match was a tense showdown against Kingston Frontenac. Trailing 3-2 in the fifth end, St. Joe’s skip Cameron Wright made a crucial angle raise tap to take a single point and stay within reach.
“At 5-1, the game is over,” said Coach Sylvain Girard. “We needed that shot. On a difficulty scale of 1-10, it was a 12. With the assist from the sweepers, he pulled it off. What a shot! The team gained some confidence after that.”
The Panthers followed with a steal of two in the seventh end and played a near-flawless eighth to secure a 5-3 victory and the EOSSAA title.
The team is competing at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) championships in Sarnia. The final wraps up March 22.
