Glenn Howard defeat Joe Frans 7-5 to win Ontario men’s curling title

BARRIE, Ont. – Glenn Howard won his eighth consecutive men’s Ontario provincial curling title Sunday thanks to a 7-5 victory over Joe Frans.

Howard’s rink from Coldwater, Ont., the defending Brier and world champions, beat Frans’ team from Holland Marsh, Ont., for the second consecutive day after losing to him in the round robin.

It was also the second straight year that Howard triumphed over Frans in the final, after Frans threw second for Peter Corner’s runner-up rink in 2012.

With the victory, Howard will once again represent Ontario at the Brier, which goes next month in Edmonton.

Frans, who didn’t have the hammer in the 10th end, had his last shot to deflect off another of his stones, leaving the two of them alongside Howard’s rock in the four foot.

Howard blasted one of Frans’ rock out of the way but also lost his shooter, requiring a measurement that would go his way.

Down in the ninth end without the hammer, Frans stole one to bring the score to 6-5.

The draw to the four foot by Frans got the attention of Howard’s last rock, leaving the back stone untouched.

Frans began reducing a 6-3 deficit in the eighth end, but could only manage a single point with the hammer, knocking Howard’s stone just enough out of the way to score one.

The sixth end was scoreless and it looked as though the seventh would go the same route, as each the players knocked out each other’s rocks.

But Frans would miss a stone completely on his first attempt, which set Howard up nicely for two.

He would convert, giving the rink of Howard, Wayne Middaugh, Brent Laing and Craig Savill a 6-3 cushion after seven ends.

Frans had the hammer in the fifth end, and some good positioning gave him a relatively simple draw for two, pulling his rink to within one.

The fourth end appeared to be up for grabs until Howard took over.

After Frans played his stone just into the house, primarily to use it as a guard, Howard was left with last rock, lying one.

Instead of attempting to draw around the traffic, Howard went head on, blasting the stone out of play, but not before eliminating Frans’ rock at the back of the four foot.

With both of Howard’s original stones still there alongside the shooter, he scored three for a 4-1 lead.

Howard looked to have an opportunity to put up multiple points in the third end, lying two and with the hammer.

But Frans coolly executed a double takeout, forcing Howard to just clear the remaining stone for a scoreless end.

Both rinks put up singles with the hammer to start the final.