Glenn Howard team earns its way back into the Brier with Ontario tankard title

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Glenn Howard and his team are off to another Brier. But his son may have to take the wheel again.  

Scott Howard stole points in the ninth and 10^th ends to defeat John Epping 5-3 and capture the Ontario Tankard in Port Elgin, Ont., on Sunday. 

Normally throwing third stones, the younger Howard took over the skip’s role this week after nagging knee problems relegated Glenn to the role of fifth-player and coach. Adam Spencer filled in as the team’s third. Second David Mathers is off to his fourth Brier while lead Tim March is heading to his third. 

It’s Scott Howard’s fifth trip to the national championships. As for Glenn, he’s hoping his knee is good enough by the time the team arrives in Lethbridge on March 4. It will be his 19^th Brier appearance.  

Epping and his Toronto-based team of third Ryan Fry, second Matt Camm, and lead Brent Laing needed to win as their place in the Canadian rankings is too low for them to claim one of the wild-card spots.  The 2018 and 2020 Ontario champion also appeared in last year’s Brier after provincial championships were cancelled due to COVID-19.

Howard took control in the 9^th end when a missed blank attempt by Epping resulted in the first steal. In the 10^th end, with the teams cluttering the four-foot area, Scott Howard made a double to lie two. Epping’s double attempt with his last failed to get one of the rocks out of the four-foot. 

Epping took three in the second end to take a 3-1 lead. After four blanks, Howard scored two to tie the game.  

The two teams ended up playing three times in this Tankard which used the triple-knockout format. Epping defeated Howard 8-6 in the A final on Friday. Howard earned his ticket to the final with an 8-7 win in the Page 1-2 playoff on Saturday. 

Epping won the semi-final on Sunday morning, scoring four in the first end and three in the third to defeat Jason Camm and his rink from Navan, Ont. 9-4 in six ends. Sam Mooibroek and his rink from Kitchener, Ont. placed fourth.