Dunstone enters winner's circle at Red Deer Classic; Homan wins again

Matt Dunstone and his new-look Winnipeg foursome have finally entered the winner's circle after a slew of close finishes. 

Team Dunstone, rounded out by B.J. Neufeld, second Colton Lott and lead Ryan Harnden, routed Calgary's Team Kevin Koe, 8-2, in the men's final of the Prism Flow Red Deer Curling Classic on Monday for their first bonspiel victory of the 2022-23 season. 

Dunstone and company had dropped three championship games and two semifinals in their previous five events this season. 

In the Red Deer final, the 27-year-old Dunstone needed just five ends to dispatch the veteran Koe, scoring three in the second and three more in the fourth end. 

Team Dunstone, who are currently ranked second in the country, went an impressive 7-1 in Red Deer, including a 4-0 shutout of Edmonton's Team Brendan Bottcher in the semifinal. 

Dunstone has been stellar with his new team this season and owns a 38-12 record. 

Koe, who's now playing with third Tyler Tardi, second Bradley Thiessen and lead Karrick Martin, had a strong week as well, highlighted by a 6-5 victory over Team Tanner Horgan in the other semifinal. 

Elsewhere, Team Colton Flasch lost to Team Bottcher in the quarters while Team Reid Carruthers went 1-3 and missed the playoffs. 

The 28-team bonspiel had a purse of $35,000 with $10,000 going home with Dunstone and $7,000 to Koe. 

Rachel Homan keeps rolling

Another event, another win for the new-look Team Rachel Homan. 

Homan's crew were victorious in the women's final at the Prism Flow Red Deer Curling Classic on Monday, beating Lethbridge's Casey Scheidegger, 5-1, in just six ends. Homan scored three in the sixth, leading to game-ending handshakes. 

Team Homan got the better of Team Jessie Hunkin in the quarters and Team Tabitha Peterson in the semis while Scheidegger's crew had to get past Team Kaitlyn Lawes and Japan's Team Satsuki Fujisawa in the playoffs to get to the final. 

The Ottawa-based foursome, featuring fourth Homan, new skip Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes, won all six games in Red Deer and have now won a total of nine games in a row dating back to last month's Tour Challenge victory on the Grand Slam circuit. They own a 23-5 record in 2022-23. 

Corryn Brown, Chelsea Carey, Clancy Grandy and Kelsey Rocque all missed the playoffs in Red Deer.

The 28-team bonspiel had a purse of $35,000 with $10,000 going home with Homan and $7,000 to Scheidegger.