‘Best shot-making female skip on the planet’ comes through to win junior nationals

“I was thrilled. I’m very proud of the girls,” says Gloucester’s Earle Morris, the team’s coach who watched Homan fall in last year’s national junior final. “That was disappointing because we really felt we were the best team there. But as is often the case in sport, you seem to have to lose before you win.”

The decisive moment in the championship game against British Columbia came in the sixth end when Homan converted a difficult runback with her last rock to set up a steal of three.

“One of her absolute strengths is she’s got ice in her veins and absolutely believes she can make very difficult shots,” notes Morris, who favoured a more conservative shot in the sixth end, but was open to hearing Homan’s preference when he was consulted during a timeout. “She made a brilliant shot and it won the game for us right there.

“I’ve been saying to people for a couple years that she is the best shot-making female skip on the planet. I believed that last year, I believe that today, and I know I’ll believe it next year – she’s really something.”

It was a great day all-around for Morris, as he kept up-to-date on the progress of his son – who was playing in the Grand Slam of Curling Canadian Open in Winnipeg at the same time – thanks to the Ontario team leader’s laptop.

Soon-to-be Olympian John Morris, who plays third for Kevin Martin’s rink, also won his title with an undefeated record in the last major tune-up event before the Vancouver Games curling competition begins Feb. 16.

Morris will be in the stands for each one of his son’s Olympic matches – decked out in red face-paint, he suggests – before helping the Homan rink in their final preparations leading up to the world junior championships March 6-14 in Flims, Switzerland.

Homan could not be reached by the Orléans Star as of press time, but the Cairine Wilson Secondary School grad said in a Curling Canada press release, “We’re so excited (about going to Flims). We’re going to prepare these next few months and try to bring back gold for Canada.”