Team Pictured from Left to Right: Mark East, Dwight Crotts, Chris Sullivan & Jason Norris.
Meet the Triad Goodwill “Rolling Stones”, masters of the ice and stones on tournament night for the Greensboro Curling League! Triad Goodwill employee and team captain Dwight Crotts said, “Playing for the final bragging rights in the championship was exciting and daunting at the same time and we really wanted to prove to ourselves that we were the best this year”. Veteran team member Mark East said, “Every game we played was different, the condition of the ice, the outside temperature, and the time of night you played was a factor in the game”.
The “Rolling Stones” team is one of the original teams in the curling league since its inception in 2018. The league is made up of an interesting and diverse group of men and women who enjoy colder weather activities and light-hearted fun but serious competition. The league played every Tuesday night at the Piedmont Winterfest outdoor ice skating rink.
“Rolling Stones” team members Dwight Crotts, Mark East, Jason Norris and Chris Sullivan found their groove as the season progressed and with every regular season win they learned how to overcome their weaknesses and change up their strategy to play to their unique strengths. Heading into the tournament the “Rolling Stones” were tied for the best record and were the overall leader in points which made them the #1 seed in the tournament with a bye into the quarterfinals.
The tournament was a single elimination format with the first three rounds in a compressed time frame. Down 0-4 early in the quarterfinals, the “Rolling Stones” came from behind to win their 1st game of the night 6-4. With only seconds left in the match Chris Sullivan sent a stone, the final stone, sliding down the ice for the game winning points! “That game was a nail biter” says Chris Sullivan and Jason Norris, the two newest members of the team. “We didn’t want to go home empty handed after being the season winners”.
Members from every team brought their “A” game that night and most of the games were back and forth with lead changes multiple times and each time the “Rolling Stones” won their match. Jason Norris says, “the lead changes made the games more exciting and added to the fun and camaraderie”. The semi-final match was another tough one, with the “Rolling Stones” coming back from a late 4-5 deficit to win 8-5.
Ultimately the “Rolling Stones” prevailed in all of their matches and are the Greensboro Curling League Champions. Congratulations to the Triad Goodwill Curling team, the “Rolling Stones”!
The Greensboro Curling League welcomes new teams every year. If you’re interested in having a team next year contact https://www.piedmontwinterfest.com/.