Brad Jacobs rallies past Matt Dunstone to claim 2nd Brier title in dramatic final

The saying "just make eight" has been used all season long by the members of Team Brad Jacobs.

The Alberta foursome did just that in the 10th end on Sunday night and it paid off with a Montana's Brier title.

Down one with hammer and a national crown on the line, Jacobs capped a run of eight perfect shots with a game-winning pick for three points that gave his team a 5-3 win over Manitoba's Matt Dunstone.

"It's one of the best ends we've played all week," said coach Paul Webster. "But they had 25 of those ends all week. They've been playing like Brier champs all week.

"We just had to put that final end together."

Dunstone flashed his first rock in the ninth end and was forced to a single. In the 10th, his team of Colton Lott, E.J. Harnden and Ryan Harnden tried to bunch up stones around the button area to try to force an extra end.

With Alberta teammates Ben Hebert, Brett Gallant and Marc Kennedy setting the table, Jacobs made a soft tap with his first rock to sit four.

Dunstone left a freeze attempt exposed and Jacobs hit it out to kick off his first Brier title celebration since 2013. Hebert let out a roar and slid down the ice to emphatically hug his skipper while Kennedy and Gallant hugged closer to the rings.

"We didn't celebrate too many big shots or big moments all weeklong," Jacobs said. "We were very calm, cool and collected.

"I think at the end it was just all of it coming out of us all at once."

Jacobs, who played with Reid Carruthers last season, replaced Brendan Bottcher last spring in a move that the team felt would give them a better shot at winning major titles.

"It was a first-line centre for a first-line centre," Webster said. "But it was just for moments like this. He made so many end-saving shots."

Alberta was the lone team to go unbeaten in the eight-game round-robin. A qualifying loss was followed by four straight elimination-game victories, including a 7-5 semifinal win over Canada's Brad Gushue earlier in the day.

"We have a never-quit attitude," Jacobs said. "We know that we're going to fight all the way through to the end no matter what."