Tenth end
Knapp laying three touching button, edge of four foot and back 12 foot at skips stones. Knapp draws in to bite the four foot behind cover to lay four. Kleiter tries to rearrange things with his first shot and taps one of Knapp's counters but rolls to edge of four, leaving Knapp still laying three. Knapp attempts to draw in to make Kleiter's deuce even more difficult, but because of a pick or some circumstance, it comes up extremely light and doesn't make the hog line. Kleiter has a long runback off a guard in front and it sails through the house. Knapp steals a pair, takes an 8-4 win and is your 2026 SaskTel Tankard champion!
Kelly Knapp and his Regina Highland foursome of third Brennen Jones, second Dustin Kidby, lead Mat Ring, alternate Trent Knapp and coach Brian McCusker will now represent Saskatchewan at the Montana’s Brier in St. John’s, Nfld beginning Feb. 27.
Ninth end
Knapp hammer. Knapp sits one top four, Kleiter two back four at skips stones. Kleiter attempts to draw in but wrecks on a long guard out front. Knapp taps his rock in the four foot to the button and rolls to the edge of the eight foot. Knapp sitting one on the button with two Kleiter rocks behind in the four foot. Kleiter attempts to draw in again and is light again, ending up with a centreline guard. Knapp has a draw with backing for two and it's good. Knapp leads 6-4 heading into the 10th.
Eighth end
Kleiter hammer. After a great angle hit roll and freeze by Hall on his final shot, Kleiter lays two on the button behind cover at skips stones. Knapp tries runback but angles off, leaving things the same. Kleiter replaces the guard, biting the top of the 12-foot. Knapp tries the runback again and this time it's nearly perfect, getting both rocks in the four foot and leaving Kleiter with an open takeout for the blank, He nose hits it and is forced to take one, making it a 4-4 tie heading into the final two ends.
Seventh end
Knapp hammer. Lots of rocks in play at skips stones, with Knapp laying two touching the button and back four foot with a ton of stones in behind. Kleiter tries a runback attempt and gets things moving, but Knapp ends up still laying two, now one biting back four foot and the other sitting back eight foot. Knapp draws to the button behind cover to lay three. Kleiter throws big weight at the problem with his final shot and gets rid of a couple, but Knapp has a draw to the four foot with his last and it's good. 4-3 Knapp after seven ends.
Sixth end
Kleiter hammer. Knapp sits one full eight foot with Kleiter second shot right in front, Knapp also has third shot in right side of house full 12 foot. Knapp attempts freeze but comes in a touch heavy, rolling to edge of eight foot and pushing Kleiter rock full eight foot behind cover. Kleiter takes out Knapp counter in the eight foot to sit two full eight foot. Knapp nose hits Kleiter's previous shot, leaving Kleiter's other rock sitting shot. Kleiter angles in off the Knapp rock in the 12 foot and settles in the four foot for two. 3-2 Kleiter through six.
Fifth end
Kleiter hammer. Wide open end, with only a Kleiter biter on the left edge of the 12-foot in play at skips stones. Knapp hits and sticks to replace that counter and sit one. Kleiter hits and rolls full eight foot behind the t-line. Knapp makes takeout to sit full eight foot. Kleiter has a open hit for the blank and gets the job done. 2-1 Knapp heading into the break.
Fourth end
Knapp hammer. Knapp sits shot back four foot, Kleiter is second shot full front eight foot, with a short Knapp guard and long Kleiter guard on the centreline. Kleiter hits and rolls behind cover biting the button just behind the t-line. Knapp draws in front of Kleiter's shot rock and sits on the button behind cover. Kleiter attempts freeze but rubs off guard and ends up sliding back eight foot. Knapp has a draw for a pair but comes up way light of the rings and has to settle for a single point. 2-1 Knapp after four ends.
Third end
Kleiter hammer. Little less busy end, with Kleiter sitting one full eight foot left side above the t-line, while Knapp has two rocks at the back of the house. Knapp hits and rolls full eight foot in front of his other two rocks. Kleiter makes a nice double and rolls full four foot behind the t-line. Knapp hits and sticks to sit full four foot, Kleiter hits and sticks for one. 1-1 tie after three ends.
Second end
Knapp hammer. Kleiter is first shot on the button, Knapp second shot top eight foot and Kleiter third shot back 12 foot at skips stones. Kleiter takes out Knapp's stone to sit three, with the shot rock rolling to the right edge eight foot just above the t-line. Knapp hits Kleiter rock on the button to sit one full four foot. Kleiter hits that stone and rolls to touch the edge of the four foot behind a long Knapp guard. Knapp has a nice touch weight takeout that rolls into the four foot for one. 1-0 Knapp after two ends.
First end
Knapp has the hammer thanks to winning the Page 1-2 game, and he keeps things clean as the end develops. The skips bring dueling takeouts on their respective opposition rocks in the back of the house with their first two stones before Kleiter hits and rolls behind a Knapp guard with his final shot, sitting back full eight foot. Knapp has a board-weight takeout with his final shot and makes it for the blank. 0-0 after the first end.
6:52 p.m.
Teams are out throwing their practice stones, we're about 15 minutes away from getting underway! If you want to watch along, the game is being streamed on CurlSask's YouTube channel.
6:30 p.m.
They were the top two teams in the SaskTel Men’s Tankard provincial curling championship all week, and now they’re going to be playing for the title. It’s Saskatoon’s Rylan Kleiter taking on Regina’s Kelly Knapp with a spot in the Montana’s Brier on the line.
Kleiter and his defending champion Nutana foursome of third Matt Hall, second Josh Mattern, lead Trevor Johnson and coach Dean Kleiter went unbeaten with an 8-0 record in the round robin but dropped a 6-5 extra end decision to Knapp in the Page Playoff 1-2 after stealing two in the 10th to tie things up.
Kleiter then dropped down to the semifinal, where he took a quick lead against Swift Current’s Steve Laycock before rallying late to secure a 9-5 win and book his spot in the final.
Knapp and his Highland foursome of third Brennen Jones, second Dustin Kidby, lead Mat Ring, alternate Trent Knapp and coach Brian McCusker finished the round robin in second with a 7-1 record, with their lone loss a 5-4 defeat at the hands of Kleiter back in Draw 4.
Action gets underway at 7 p.m. at the CN Community Centre in Melville
The winner will advance to the Montana’s Brier in St. John’s, Nfld beginning Feb. 27.
