Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 5, 2009, Winnipeg, Manitoba C m y k Page c3 Winnipeg repress. Com sports Winnipeg free press monday january 5, 2009 c 3 it is a daunting task to play in your first Ever provincial Curling championship. It is almost unheard of to then go on and win it. And yet that is exactly what Pembina Curling clubs Sam Good is threatening to do at the Granite Curling club this week. Good improved to 6 0 with a pair of wins yesterday at the Manitoba Junior menus Curling championship Locking up first place with just one More round Robin game still to play. All of which is an impressive accomplishment already for a team that came into this weeks provincials seeded a lowly 10th. A lot of the other teams ahead of us in the seedlings have been to the provincials before Good said sunday night. But it seems like were peaking at the right time. Good who lives and curls in a menus league in Stonewall but does his Junior Curling in the highly competitive Pembina super league is supported by Taylor Mcintire Kent Moffitt and David Wiebe. Only Wiebe and Mcintire have been to the provincials before. Having already achieved his teams goal of making the playoffs Good said they now have a new goal this week. I ted be Nice to make the final Good 18, says and to win it would be awesome. Good is leading the red Pool a game ahead of Pem Binas Jim Coleman who hers already beaten. Portages Michael Johnson was at 5 0 and atop the Black Pool heading into the late draw last night a game ahead of Pem Binas Daniel Birchard. In the Junior a omens championship defending Canadian Champion Kaitlyn Lawes and Assiniboine memorials Michelle Montford Are the Only undefeated teams remaining. Montford is at 6 0 atop the red Pool a game ahead of Ste. Anness Alyssa Vandepoele. Lawes was at 5 0 and in first in the Black Pool. The top two teams in each Pool Advance to the Page playoffs scheduled for this evening. The finals Are tuesday afternoon. I tvs been a few years since there has been a dominant big 3 in Manitoba Curling. With former Canadian Champion Vic Peters in Semi retirement the former big 3 has become the big 2 of Jeff Stoughton and Kerry Burtnyk in recent years. That May be about to change however. Winnipeg Gas Mike Mcewen is making a Strong Case this Winter that his team might be on the Cusp of joining Burtnyk and Stoughton in the elite class they currently occupy in this province. Mcewen made his latest statement toward that end sunday in Morris when he captured the Manitoba Curling tour menus championship with a 7 4 Victory Over Brand ones Terry Mcnamee in the final. The win is the second act title in a Row for Mcewen and makes his team the first in the 18 year history of the act to capture Back to Back tour titles. Even More importantly however is the berth into february yes Safeway provincial menus Curling championship that Mcewen and his foursome b. J. Neufeld Matt Wozniak and Denni Neufeld also earned in Morris. Burtnyk and Stoughton already have their Safeway berths and Mcewen knows that sooner or later hers going to have to beat them in a provincials to graduate to that next rung on the ladder. Its that one big Carrot still hanging out there that i think would take us to the next level winning a Manitoba championship Mcewen 28, said sunday night. Mcewen has had a career season on the Cash Spiel Tours racking up about $ 33,000 in winnings including last nights $ 7,000 Cheque. Hers also earned a spot in the Canada cup and a spot in this months grand slam event at its Centre. But in the end he knows he still has to pass a big test to be considered in Stough tones and Burt Nyks company. In the a omens act championship Chelsea Carey set a tone for the upcoming a omens provincial Curling championship in Neepawa drilling former Manitoba a omens Champion Janet Harvey 7 1 in just five ends to capture the a omens tour title and the $ 4,000 first prize. Sunday spotlight eagles 26, Vikings 14 Minneapolis All but forgotten As a Post season contender just one month earlier Andy Reid Donovan Mcnabb and the Philadelphia eagles have a playoff win. Next up the super bowl champions. Brian Westbrook caught a Short pass out of the Backfield and zigzagged through the Minnesota defence for a devastating 71 Yard touchdown Midway through the fourth Quarter and the eagles spoiled the Vikings first Home playoff game in eight years with a 26 14 Victory sunday. Asante Samuel is 44 Yard interception return of Tarvaris Jackson is errant pass in the second Quarter set the tone for the kind of game most Vikings fans feared from the unpolished quarterback. Reid improved his playoff coaching record to 9 6, including at least one win each time the eagles 10 6 1 have qualified in his 10 years. He bested his buddy and former offensive coordinator Brad Childress in this one and they spoke for several moments on the Field after the game. Philadelphia will play next sunday in new Jersey against the to seeded giants sending Arizona to play Carolina in the other pfc semifinal saturday. Jackson who lost his Job in september but got it Back when Gus Frerotte was Hurt went 15 for 35 for 164 Yards. Adrian Peterson is two touchdown runs we rent nearly enough for pfc North Champion Minnesota 10 7which will head to yet another off season with burning questions about the quarterbacks. Ravens 27, dolphins 9 Miami the Baltimore Ravens had Chad Pennington spinning ducking on his heels and on his Back. When he did manage to get a pass away they were often there to snatch it. The Ravens came up with four interceptions including one returned 64 Yards for a touchdown by de Reed spoiling the Miami dolphins first playoff game in seven seasons. Baltimore stuffed miamis ground attack and negated the Wildcat but most of All the Ravens harried Pennington into uncharacteristic mistakes. After throwing Only seven interceptions during the regular season he had four during a 22 minute flurry Midway through the game. With a Rookie coach in John Harbaugh and a Rookie quarterback in Joe Flacco wild card entrant Baltimore 12 5 won for the 10th time in 12 games and will play saturday at acc South Champion Tennessee. The playoff Victory was the first for the Ravens since they beat Miami in a first round game in january 2002. The result put the brakes on this seasons remarkable resurgence by the dolphins 11 6who won the acc East after going 1 15 in 2007. Reed had two interceptions and Jim Leonhard and Fabian Washington made one apiece. Terrell Suggs recovered a Fumble by Patrick Cobbs Early in the second half at the Miami 19. O n the matter of proclaiming National football league teams dead before its mathematically Safe to do so perhaps those of us with a pen or a microphone would be Well advised to defer judgment to the medical experts from now on. After the eagles week 12 embarrassment in Baltimore an unfortunate declaration was made in this space that the Donovan Mcnabb Era May be Over in Philadelphia. Oops with sundays 26 14 wild card playoff win Over the Vikings the eagles Are officially a scary team As they prepare to face the of cos top seed the new York giants in next weeks divisional round. Mcnabb by the Way has had a quarterback rating of 97.7 As the eagles have won five of six games. Still feeling a Little trigger Happy we took week 13 As an Opportunity to pronounce that the chargers Are done and coach Norv Turner May need to Start looking for a real estate agent. Could we have a Mulligan please the chargers a vent lost since including saturday nights 23 17 playoff win in overtime Over map Peyton Manning and the Colts. San i egos next test will come sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh. Turner May still want to Call up a realtor one or two More wins and chargers fans will build him an oceanfront Palace. The Point is theress no telling when a team will catch lightning in a bottle or How Long it will last see new York giants 2007 edition. All of a sudden teams that seemed like afterthoughts in december Are legitimate threats to be playing in february for a big Silver trophy. So with that confession out of the Way Well take a moment to demonstrate that weave Learned our lesson. The Arizona cardinals played their Best game of the season saturday afternoon beating the Atlanta Falcons 30 24 in an pfc wild card game. The cardinals who visit Carolina next saturday night found some offensive balance with the running of edger in James and shut Down the leagues Best ground attack. However lets be Clear about one thing the cardinals have absolutely no Chance Zero of winning the super bowl. Some random observations from wild card weekend. The most convincing Victory of the weekend came yesterday in Miami where the Ravens defence beat the dolphins into submission. The Baltimore defence is starting to look a lot like the one that pillaged its Way to Victory in super bowl xxxv. For the second year in a Row the chargers ended the Colts season with Ladanian Tomlinson spending most of a playoff game on the Bench with an injury. Last year it was Michael Turner who carried the Load for san Diego on the ground. This year with Turner lost to free Agency its Darren Sproles a free agent this off season a hons playing a key role. Eagles coach Andy Reid deserves Praise for sticking with Brian Westbrook even though he found no Success for three and a half quarters. Westbrook gained Only 30 Yards on his first 16 touches but his 71 Yard catch and run on a screen pass broke the game open with six minutes left. Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson was Over matched by the Philadelphia defence especially in the second half when Minnesota gained Only 103 Yards on its seven drives. Jackson finished 15 of 35 for 164 Yards threw an interception that asante Samuel returned for an eagles touchdown and looked out of his depth throughout the game. With an All world running Back and very Good offensive and defensive lines the Vikings Are a competent quarterback away from being a super bowl contender. Four questions that we cant wait to have answered next weekend will the speedy Pittsburgh defence be Able to slow Down Sproles can Kerry Collins last 60 turnover free minutes against the Ravens was it a Fluke when the eagles held the giants to 211 total Yards in a week 14 win was the Arizona running game a desert Mirage or will it travel to Carolina wild card weekend awards. Offensive player of the week Donovan Mcnabb a Philadelphia. Mcnabb overcame a non existent running game and a consistent Minnesota pass Rush to turn in a winning performance in his first playoff appearance since throwing up in the huddle during super bowl xxxix. Eight receivers caught passes from Mcnabb who finished 23 of 34 for 300 Yards with one touchdown and one interception. Defensive player of the week de Reedis Baltimore. The Best Ball Hawk in the league had two of Balti mores four interceptions and returned the first one 64 Yards for a touchdown that gave the Ravens a 10 3 Lead they never relinquished. Reed is a quarterbacks worst Nightmare when a Ball hits him in the hands he almost always catches it and every interception has the potential to become six Quick Points for the Ravens. Special teams player of the week Mike Scifres san Diego. Its not often that a punter is the Best player on the Field but Scifres was flawless saturday night. He averaged 52.7 Yards on six punts with an even More impressive net average of 51.7 and kept the Ball out of the end zone As if he had a lob wedge on his foot. Avi Saper email. Com Ann Heisenfelt / the associated press eagles quarterback Donovan Mcnabb has risen Phoenix like from the ashes. Sunday against the Vikings he showed that reports of his death have been greatly exaggerated. Cancel that casket once written off for dead Mcnabb and eagles Are flying High again Mcewen a title away from joining Manitoba ass elite by Paul Wiecek Good Golly Junior team defies the Odds Boris Minkevich / Winnipeg free press skip Sam Good eyes an incoming Rock at the Granite Curling club. The Point after Avi Saper a 03_ Jan 05 09. Ind c3 1 / 4/ 09 10 02 45 pm ;