John Weeks’ return to Division one weekend pennant competition in the Campaspe playing area continues to be a highlight of the Rochester season.
Weeks was the eighth-ranked skip in the Division two competition last season, when Rochester won the pennant title, and has scored successive wins to start the 2022-23 Division one season.
On Saturday he combined with Leslie Walles, Margaret Knight and Rob Dennis for a 22-19 win as his team was beaten by 16 shots overall, 71-55 (14-2).
Rochester now has one win and one defeat from its opening two rounds and faces last season’s in-form grand finalist Echuca in the final round before the Christmas break.
Echuca started the season horribly, with a 23-shot loss to Mathoura, then lost to Rich River before getting on the board against reigning premier Tongala during the weekend.
TIm Quinlan had an interesting opponent on the weekend, facing Premier League skipper and Moama coach Kevin Anderson.
Quinlan, Brian Trengove, Kaye Barker and Bob Knight lost the match 18-23 and on the final rink Richard Feuk was beaten 15-29 by Robert Young.
Moama’s Division one team is unbeaten in its two matches and faces Tongala this weekend in its final pre-Christmas break match.
Division one bowls will resume on January 14.
– Rochester sits third on the ladder after its second win of the three-week-old Division two season against Deniliquin RSL on Saturday.
The 10-shot win came with a 14-2 (74-64) scoreline, on the back of an Anton Gusak victory and a four-shot win from John Boyd.
Boyd was a star last week with a 33-9 win in the victory against Deniliquin and he followed that up with a 26-21 win against the RSL outfit.
Gusak, promoted from Division three skipping, combined with Francis Keech, Bert Smolenaars and Shane Ryan for a 25-16 win.
Leigh Milgate lost his rink by four shots, but did enough to contribute to the overall win for Rochester.
Rochester faces Echuca in the final round before the break, which has won only one of its opening three matches and sits fifth on the ladder.
– In Division three the Rochester outfit bounced back from its loss to Moama Steamers by scoring a six-shot win against Deniliquin.
Rochester now sits fourth on the ladder, after the 13-3 (62-56) win and has third-ranked neighbour Lockington in the final round before the Christmas break.
The win came on the back of a 25-9 win by David Murray, who with Wes Bertuch, Raylee Willis and Malcolm Macraild in support was the only winning Rochester rink.
Jenny Major had Alan and Kathy Williams, along with Norm Christie, backing her in a thrilling 22-all-draw on her rink and Michael Ellis has a tough afternoon on the remaining rink.