High-school curling season wrapping up play for 2024-25 season

“Our teams play with enthusiasm and always enjoy being on the ice. We see improvements every day and are looking forward to a competitive end to the season.”

Published Feb 09, 2025 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 5 minute read

Saskatoon high school curling action on Feb 1, 2024 at Sutherland Curling Club. Photo by Don Rice.

The Saskatoon high school curling season, which began play in late November, is heading into playoffs.

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B-League has already wrapped up its developmental schedule of games while A-League playoffs are on the near horizon. Open mixed A quarter-finals took place on Friday, Feb. 7 at Sutherland Curling Club. Semifinals in all A leagues will be played on Monday, Feb. 10, also at Sutherland, and city championships take place Wednesday, Feb. 12 at Nutana Curling Club. Qualifying teams will move on to regionals February 28 to March 1 with provincials March 7-8.

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The StarPhoenix presents our team-by-team snapshots with insights provided by participating coaches.

Aden Bowman Bears

Head coach: Jason Sanche & Paul Sanche

Teams: Open Mixed

Players to watch

Mackenna Vaughan — Skip, Grade 10. New to high school curling and to skipping. She has been willing to take on more responsibility and has been a strong and positive leader for her team.
Victoria Siermachesky — Second, Grade 9. Brand new to curling and has grown significantly during the season both in confidence and skills. She’s always willing to try new things and she works hard to improve every day.

Previous results

“4th in Boys A.”

Expectations for this season

“It was an interesting start to the season as we have two returning players, only one from last year and nine new faces. Everyone picked up the game quickly and they support each other during practices and games. Our teams play with enthusiasm and always enjoy being on the ice. We see improvements every day and are looking forward to a competitive end to the season.”

Bethlehem Stars

Head coach: Jessie Kraus & Jason Cody

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Teams: Open Mixed

Players to watch

Rylee Diederichs — Skip, Grade 11. Has taken this new position and leadership with a great attitude, and commitment. She has made fantastic shots with great help from her teammates. She is going to be a great leader for the curling program for the next two years.

Previous results

“City championship, regional winners, and 4th at provincials.

Expectations for this season

“We want to have fun, and hopefully have good competing playoff games for the city championship.”

Bishop James Mahoney Saints

Head coach: Isabelle Gauthier

Teams: Boys, Open Mixed

Players to watch

Liam Gauthier — Skip, Boys A, Grade 12. An up and coming skip.

Expectations for this season

“We expect our curlers to acquit themselves and our school well, with great sportsmanship and solid strategy.”

Evan Hardy Souls

Head coach: Nikki Motilag

Teams: Girls, Open Mixed

Players to watch

Rebecka Dyok — Skip, Girls A, Grade 12. Has played with this team for 4 years, has been to regionals and provincials in years prior.

Previous results

“Girls A silver at cities, qualified for regionals.”

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Expectations for this season

“Aiming to qualify for the city championship and regionals.”

Holy Cross Crusaders

Head coach: Al Kraus & Shelley Lang

Teams: Girls, Open Mixed

Players to watch

“The team to watch this year is the Girls A curling team. This talented group finished third at provincials last year and now has a strong chance to advance out of the city league, compete at regionals, and secure a spot at provincials once again.

All members of last year’s team have returned. The lineup includes skip: Edie Jardine, third: Kelsey Wall, second: Reese Stewart and lead: Katerina Broten. Joining the team this year is Sydney Duba as the fifth player.”

Previous results

“The girls A team won cities and finished 3rd at provincials. The boys A team finished 2nd at cities and went on to regionals in Melfort. The open team had a great season but did not make it out of cities.”

Expectations for this season

“The open A team is having a fantastic season and is working hard to finish strong enough to qualify for regionals. The girls team is also enjoying another great season and is equally determined to advance to regionals.”

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St. Joseph Guardians

Head coach: Aurora Ning

Teams: Boys

Players to watch

Porter Folden — Second, Boys A, Grade 9. Showing a lot of potential as a Grade 9 player. He is a well-rounded curler and can play any position with ease.
Nathan Olson — Lead, Boys A, Grade 9. Has shown a lot of drive and determination. His hard work is evident from his improvement this season.

Previous results

“The St. Joseph Boys A team won cities last year.”

Expectations for this season

“We hope to win cities and head to regionals and provincials.”

Tommy Douglas Tigers

Head coach: Kim Isaak and Andrew Nelson

Teams: Girls, Open Mixed

Players to watch

Joel Kitsch — Skip, Open A, Grade 10. Once again leading the open A team this year. Known for his strong leadership and strategic approach to the game, Joel’s passion for the take-out shot adds an exciting dynamic to the team. His proficiency on the ice and enthusiasm for curling make him both a pleasure to coach and a joy to watch.
Natalie Heggstrom — Skip, Girls. As a first-time skip, Natalie has been quickly learning the ins and outs of what it takes to lead the team. Her ability to guide her team with confidence and skill has made her a standout in this new position.

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Previous results

“Lost in the quarter-finals.”

Expectations for this season

“Our curling teams have both come a long way since we started curling together this past autumn, and we get better every time we play. Team growth, skill development, and more experience make us hopeful that this year, TDC will go further than ever. With each game and practice, we refine our strategies, enhance our technique, and gain the confidence needed to tackle tough competition. We’re focused on improving every aspect of our game and are optimistic that this season will bring the success we strive for.”