Team Knapp excited to represent Saskatchewan at 2023 Brier | 24CA News

“To do it with that group of guys just makes it as special as it could be,” newly minted Team Saskatchewan skip Kelly Knapp stated of incomes his place on the 2023 Tim Hortons Brier.

The long-time lead-turned-skip had been via a whirlwind afternoon of curling forward of a hasty interview Sunday, throwing a takeout on the ultimate stone that led his group to a 5-4 victory over Steve Laycock.

“Skipper and the team made the right shots at the right time,” twin brother and group lead Trent Knapp added. “(The) stars have to align and we’re very thankful they have, (we) can’t wait for what’s ahead.”

In simply his second 12 months skipping, Kelly was capable of lead his tight-knit group to an undefeated 5-0 document on the Saskatchewan males’s curling championship.

“My twin brother Trent and two of my best friends in Mike (Armstrong) and Brennan (Jones), and (alternate) Dustin (Kidby) who’s become such a close friend through this year and coach Brian who’s stuck with Trent and me for a number of years, I can’t envision doing it with anyone else.”

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“To share this with my brother, it’s insane,” Trent added. “We were (in) Grade 5 when we started together, (we’re) very fortunate with all of the coaches we’ve had through the years. We parted ways for a few years, but to come back, with him at the helm at skip, it’s literally a storybook.”

It will be the first Brier look for each of the Knapp brothers, however second Mike Armstrong and third Brennan Jones have each beforehand gained inexperienced jackets – Armstrong in 2012 and Jones a 12 months earlier, taking part in with the person they beat within the tankard finale Steve Laycock.

“It was a little more of an important game because he’s a past teammate,” Jones stated. “Steve’s wily, he’s always been a great player and we knew that he was going to come out firing even though we beat him twice already; we knew that we had the tools, we just had to use them.”

It’s been a protracted 12 years for the 35-year-old who is keen to return to the Brier, with a chance to symbolize each the province and nation on the World Curling Championship.

“I didn’t think I’d ever be here again. I kind of took a few years off, had a bit of a back injury and didn’t think I’d ever be in this position,” Jones defined. “Kelly asked me last year if I wanted to play and it was too good of a chance to pass up, just being really good friends with these guys.”

A way of each group and provincial pleasure had been worn on the sleeves of group Knapp on the tankard, one thing this group will take with them to the Brier.

“I’m proud to be from Regina and represent that city, but just on the bigger whole, our province,” Kelly stated. “I was born and raised here, I’ve never lived elsewhere, it’s always been a dream to wear the green and white.”

The group hopes to finish a 43-year Brier drought for Saskatchewan. The championship runs March 3-12 in London, Ont.

“We’ve all had exposure against the teams that were there and we know we can beat them, it’s just about putting that all together, which I think we can do.”

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