Gedak and his rink of third Jason Ackerman, second Derek Owens and lead Curtis Horwath took a 5-3 win over Regina Highland’s Samuel Wills to open the 12-team event on Friday night at the Moose Jaw Ford Curling Centre.
Brett Behm and his Moose Jaw rink of third Brendan Ross, second Daniel Mutlow and lead Ian Howell also got off to a fast start, scoring in the final end to take a 4-3 win over Canora’s Rob Zuravloff.
Regina Highland’s Kelly Knapp -- with Moose Jaw’s Brock Montgomery at third -- scored two in the seventh and stole one in the eighth to take a 6-4 win over Regina Callie’s Joshua Bryden.
Things didn’t go quite as well for Highland’s Ben Gamble, who curls in the Original 16 Cash League. Gamble, third Braydan Mohns, second Tyler Krupski and lead Rory McCusker couldn’t get on the board against one of the pre-tournament favourites in Regina’s Rylan Kleiter, dropping an 8-0 decision.
In one of the more intriguing match-ups of the night, Canadian curling legend Russ Howard turned in a solid showing filling in for son Steven at skip, recording deuces in the second, fourth and sixth to take a 6-4 victory over Regina Highland’s Shane Vollman.
The other opening draw contest saw Fox Valley’s Ryan Deis take an 8-5 win over Regina Callie’s Dustin Woloschuk.
Action continues throughout the weekend at the Moose Jaw Ford Curling Centre.
