Classic Rematch!

Jones, Homan set for classic rematch in Scotties final

Skip Jennifer Jones is calling it quits in four-person curling after the conclusion of the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary, but she certainly won’t go quietly. 

Jones was assured a joyous ‘bon voyage’ whether she wins or loses tonight in the gold-medal final of the Canadian Women’s Curling Championship. 

And what a way to go out for the 49-year-old curling legend, squaring off against skip Rachel Homan in the final chapter of their long rivalry. 

Jones, skipping Team-Manitoba Jones (Winnipeg/Altona), earned another crack at Team Ontario-Homan (Ottawa) in the championship game at WinSport Event Centre after posting nine-end, 12-7 win Sunday afternoon against Team Manitoba-Cameron in the Scotties semifinal. 

The win offers Jones a chance to win an unprecedented seventh championship and give her brilliant Scotties career a storybook ending. She would also like to earn a little payback after losing to Team Ontario-Homan in a dramatic Page 1-2 playoff Saturday night. 

The winner of tonight’s game at 6 p.m. (all Times Mountain) will represent Canada at the 2024 BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship at Centre 200 in Sydney, N.S., from March 16-24. 

“I just think it’s fun to be in the final. Last one,” said Jones who will be appearing in a record 11th Scotties final, surpassing ex-teammate Jill Officer. “It’s fun to be in those big games.” 

Throughout her career, Jones became a symbol of toughness and dedication and an unquestioned icon of the sport. A two-time world champion and Olympic gold-medal winner, Jones provided such good times to curling fans across the country, and the spectators in Calgary have not forgotten that. 

So even a loss tonight will not take any lustre off the brilliant career Jones has established, representing Manitoba or Canada at the Scotties. Win or lose, there is expected to be raucous cheers for the Grand Dame of curling when it is all over.  

The final will have to go some to top the performance the two put on the night previously when the game needed an extra end to decide. The game was filled with some highlight-reel shots, including an incredible draw to the button by Homan to keep the game alive in the 10th end. 

Can history repeat itself? Curling fans hope so. 

“I just want to soak it all in,” said Jones. “The crowd’s been awesome and I just want to enjoy it. I’ve never not enjoyed playing so I don’t see how tonight will be any different. I couldn’t have scripted it (the week) any better. We just want to go out and play like we did last night and see what happens at the end.” 

Jones, backed by Emily Zacharias, Karlee Burgess, Lauren Lenentine and coached by Glenn Howard, hit the ground running against Team Manitoba-Cameron, scoring five in the first end. Cameron, with a good chance to steal, made a critical error when she rubbed and slid too far trying to draw a second shot into the back-four. She left her rock in the worst possible spot, leaving Jones a room order double for an opening five. 

“If you keep lots of rocks in play you never know, you might get a big end,” said Jones. “We got fortunate when she rubbed off and left me the double. Obviously a big turning point in the game.” 

It just wasn’t Cameron’s day, and by the seventh end, with Jones up 11-5, the outcome was clear.  

“Just a couple of mismanaged shots and Jenn’s team capitalized on,” Cameron said about the first end. 

Homan, who is supported by vice-skip Tracy Fleury, second, Emma Miskew, lead Sarah Wilkes, alternate Rachel Brown and coached by Don Bartlett, is seeking her fourth Canadian title and first since 2017. 

Besides the title, teams in tonight’s final are playing for purse money: $100,000 for first and $60,000 for second. 

Live scoring and statistics for the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts are available at www.curling.ca/scoreboard/. 

TSN and RDS2 will provide complete coverage of the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. CLICK HERE for the complete schedule. 

Broadcast coverage for viewers outside of Canada is available on TSN’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/@TSN_Sports. 

For ticket information for the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, go to www.curling.ca/2024scotties/tickets/.