Cameron de Jong is ready to take a run at this weekend聮s Junior Men聮s Coastal Playdowns at the Comox Valley Curling Club.
With six qualifying spots open among just nine teams, the math will tell you the 19-year-old Victoria Curling Club skip聮s chances of advancing to provincials in Coquitlam are pretty good.
聯I do like those odds,聰 said de Jong, who is joined by rinkmates Brook Calibaba at third, second Connar Croteau, lead Thomas Thierbach and fifth Ryan Cassidy. 聯Six spots, we should be able to get one.聰
De Jong says he will work all five players into the rotation over the three-day event, which also has VCC clubmates Paul Henderson, Duncan Silversides and Tyler Klymchuk competing.
De Jong faces Kyle Habkirk of Coquitlam in his opener tonight at 7, while Klymchuk draws Silversides in the same draw. Henderson begins play against Tyler Tardi of Langley on Saturday.
Having finished fourth at last year聮s junior men聮s provincial event at his home club, de Jong聮s rink has a different look to it with Calibaba having moved in from Kamloops and Croteau added as well. Fifth-man Cassidy is also a recent addition.
聯I think our team is coming together pretty well, just adding Ryan Cassidy. I didn聮t feel as confident at the beginning of the year, but as the year has gone we have developed that confidence,聰 said de Jong, who plays in the VCC Select Men聮s Tuesday league where he聮s struggled before winning two of his last three games.
聯We haven聮t played terribly well and our record (2-0-9) isn聮t good here, but we聮re coming along,聰 said de Jong, whose team will obviously benefit from curling at that competition level. 聯Playing the good teams will help us going into this weekend.聰
Meanwhile, in junior women聮s play, Juan de Fuca聮s Mariah Coulombe and Katherine Silversides, as well as Kalia Van Osch of Nanaimo will compete in the Coastal Playdowns in Comox, which features six teams with four qualifiers.
Kalia Van Osch and her sister Marika formed half of last year聮s provincial junior women聮s championship rink, playing third and second respectively. Kalia is now skipping and Marika remains at second, joined by Carley Sandwith at third, Ashley Sanderson at lead and alternate Brooklyn Leitch.
The Van Osch sisters begin defence of their title on Saturday at 9 a.m.
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