Calgary’s Brad Jacobs defeated Team Dunstone Sunday to claim his second Montana’s Brier championship and will represent Canada at the BKT Men’s Curling World Championships in Moose Jaw, Sask. at the end of March.
“We’re going to play hard to bring a gold back for our country,” the skip told TSN following the win.
It was a slow, grueling, defensive final game concluding with a 5-3 Jacobs win over Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone. In total. five ends ended with a blank score.
It took until the fifth end, but Dunstone opened the scoring with a two - before Jacobs earned a single in the sixth end.
With the hammer in the seventh, Dunstone looked for a double-takeout to score a potential three. But a jammed rock and a lost shooter gave Jacobs the single point steal to tie the game 2-2.
After another blank in the eighth, Dunstone would score a single to take a 3-2 lead into the final end.
In the 10th after both skips had thrown their first stones, Jacobs sat four with the hammer. A Dunstone draw with his last was light and only good enough to sit second-shot stone.
Jacobs would throw a takeout to score three and solidify the win.
“I knew it was good when I let her go,” Jacobs said. “That was pure. It was great.”
It was a difficult road to the final for Team Jacobs after losing the 1-2 page qualifier Friday. Forcing the Alberta rink to win four-straight win-or-go-home games enroute to the championship.
Earlier in the day, Jacobs pulled out a 7-5 semifinal win over Canada’s Brad Gushue in a stunning semifinal.
Gushue had a chance to win with his final throw of the 10th end. However, his tap attempt was heavy and the rock slid by Alberta’s shot stone.
“We got the biggest break of the year,” said Jacobs, who reached his first Brier final since 2015.
Jacobs last won the Brier in 2013 when he represented Northern Ontario. He would go on to earn a silver medal at that year’s World Championships before winning gold at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
This is Jacobs' first full season with the team, which includes vice Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant and lead Ben Hebert.
2025 was the 17th Brier appearance for the Regina-born Hebert who has now won five tankards. Hebert has also won two world championships.
It was the fourth career Brier title for Kennedy. While Gallant has also now won five championships.
The loss is Dunstone’s second runner-up finish and third podium finish as the search for his first tankard trophy continued.
“I’m just completely heartbroken for my team,” Dunstone said. “I wasn’t good enough for them down the stretch.”
The Brier champion Team Jacobs will now represent Canada at the March 29-April 6 BKT World Men’s Curling Championship in Moose Jaw.
Jacobs also earned a berth in the 2025 Olympic curling trials in Halifax N.S., as well as a guaranteed spot in the 2026 Brier at Team Canada in St. John’s N.L.
-With files from The Canadian Press
