Estevan is hosting one of the biggest events on the Saskatchewan curling calendar this weekend and the field is now set.
Regional playdowns held last weekend determined the group of 16 teams that will invade the Estevan Curling Club for the men's southern playdowns, which run from Thursday to Sunday.
The first draw is tomorrow at 1 p.m., followed by the opening ceremony at 6 p.m.
The A final is Saturday at 4:30 p.m., the two B finals are the same night at 8:30 and the two C finals are Sunday at 2 p.m.
Five teams will advance from the triple-knockout tournament to the provincial SaskTel Tankard men's championship.
Of the 16 teams at the Tankard, five others will come from the northern playdowns being held this weekend in Kindersley. The other six have already been determined through other means: Darrell McKee (Saskatoon), Bruce Korte (Saskatoon), Jamie Schneider (Regina), Steve Laycock (Saskatoon), Randy Bryden (Regina) and Max Kirkpatrick (Swift Current).
Estevan's Brent Gedak enters the playdowns as one of the favourites to advance to the Tankard.
He and his team of John Aston (third), Derek Owens (second) and Malcolm Vanstone (lead) tore through the southern playdowns last year in Swift Current, defeating Bryden in the A final.
Gedak has appeared in the Tankard eight times in the last nine years.
His team, Lampman's Mark Walter and Whitewood's Jason Krupski advanced to the playdowns from Zone 4 regionals in Lampman last weekend.
Walter's rink also includes Garry Kreutzer (third), Aaron Fornwald (second) and Dave Wetsch (lead).
Krupski's team, consisting of Lyle Brown (third), Dean Krupski (second) and Kelly Hollinger (lead), will also be a contender. Krupski appeared in last year's Tankard and was one win away from playing for a playoff berth.
Joel Jordison, who went to the Brier in 2009, is another skip to keep an eye on. His Moose Jaw rink, newly formed last year, features Jason Ackerman (third), Brent Goeres (second) and Curtis Horwath (lead).
Former Canadian junior champion Braeden Moskowy is also in the field, curling third with Brock Virtue's team out of the Callie Curling Club in Regina. The group also includes Chris Schille (second) and D.J. Kidby (lead).
The other teams in the field are skipped by Clayton Wicks (Swift Current), Reagan Hadden (Swift Current), Shaylor Layman (Lafleche), Jason Weal (Assiniboia), Wade Sydorko (Weyburn), Jeff Hartung (Langenburg), Shawn Joyce (Moose Jaw), Mike Eberle (Regina Tartan), Chris Busby (Regina Highland), William Coutts (Regina Highland) and Clint Krismer (Regina Tartan).
