Jim Cotter was a ray of sunshine in the Island rain.
Cotter jumped on early mistakes by his opponent to win the Page 1-2 game at the 2018 B.C. men’s curling championship at the Parksville Curling Club on Saturday.
Cotter struck for a three in the first end and took advantage of a Sean Geall miss on a takeout in the second for a steal and a 4-0 lead in an eventual 6-2 victory in eight ends.
Cotter, of Vernon, now has a chance to win his fifth straight provincial crown, and eighth overall.
He and his crew of third Catlin Schneider, second Tyrel Griffith and lead Rick Sawatsky advance straight to today’s championship final, which starts at 4 p.m.
“That was definitely our best game so far and that’s what we want to do, keep improving every single game,” said the veteran Cotter.
Geall and his Kelowna Curling Club rink — consisting of third Jeff Richard, second Andrew Nerpin and lead David Harper — dropped down to the semifinal today at 11 a.m. against the Victoria Club’s Jason Montgomery.
Montgomery advanced after winning the Page 3-4 game 7-4 against former Victorian and former B.C. champion Dean Joanisse of the Golden Ears Winter Club.
“You can’t dwell on it. I don’t think we played that bad at all,” Geal said of having to take the back-door semifinal route against Montgomery.
“Jimmy [Cotter] made double after double after double to get himself out of trouble,” Geall said.
