Lead pack rolls on at Kamloops Brier

Photo: Contributed

Team BC vice-skip Jim Cotter, top, directs sweepers Rick Sawatsky, left, and Tyrel Griffith. (Photos, CCA/Michael Burns)

The big three are starting to separate themselves from the pack at the Tim Hortons Brier in Kamloops Wednesday.

All three front runners, BC (John Morris), Alberta (Kevin Koe) and Jeff Stoughton (Manitoba) posted victories during draw 11 Wednesday morning.

Morris all but eliminated Brad Gushue of Newfoundland/Labrador 5-3 sending the former Olympic champion to a disappointing 3-5.

Koe scored three in the third en route to a 7-3 win over winless Nova Scotia while Stoughton picked up deuces in the second and fourth beating Northern Ontario 9-6.

Morris and Koe sit atop the standings at 7-1 with Stoughton right behind at 6-2.

Stoughton and Morris face off in the feature game Thursday morning.

In BC's win, the rink representing Kelowna/Vernon picked up two in both the second and fifth ends to put Gushue behind 4-1. He would not recover.

“We got our deuce early and managed to keep that two-point lead,” said third Jim Cotter, who throws last stones for BC.

“They made some great shots, where they put some pressure on us and we had to come up with some real doozies to keep them from scoring two.”

An example was the ninth where BC was in difficulty but managed to hold Newfoundland/Labrador to a single.

“We were looking to give up two, maybe even a possible three,” said Cotter, who made two excellent shots. “We got forced into making the double with my last one, managed to force them (to a single) so that was a big hold. Being up two coming home is lot better than being one up."

Morris has the quick turnaround playing 4-2 Ontario in the afternoon.

Stoughton also gets the quick afternoon draw against 4-2 Saskatchewan while Koe waits until the evening to face Ontario.