It’s B.C. and Alberta in today’s Brier final

SPORTS — The game everybody wanted will determine the 2014 Brier.

Alberta got past Quebec Saturday night in an extra end. It all came down to a last-rock draw by Alberta skip Kevin Koe to shut down a late-game comeback by Jean-Michel Menard’s foursome.

Saturday night’s semi final wasn’t nearly as boisterous, and the crowd not as big, as the Friday night matchup when B.C. beat Alberta in the 1-2 Page, but the teams provided full money for the pricey Brier tickets.

Alberta clearly has the biggest fan contingent at this Brier except for B.C., and were clearly the fan favourites as they took on Quebec.

The turning point in the game should have come in the fifth end when Menard rubbed on an attempted quiet tap back, and Koe drew to the pin for two.

That made it 6-3 in Alberta’s favour. Quebec took a single in the sixth but Koe presented Menard with a gift-wrapped deuce in the seventh when he skinned an easy takeout and suddenly it was all tied up.

But Koe was two up coming home and seemingly back in control of his own destiny. Then Menard executed a fine double takeout for a deuce with his last rock, sending it to an extra end that finished with Koe’s last-rock draw.

Menard and Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton are on the ice at 9 a.m. in this morning’s bronze-medal matchup, with the game everybody’s been waiting for set for 4:40 to determine the 2014 Brief champion.

Based on play in the last couple of rounds, B.C.’s John Morris should have the edge. Morris and Kamloops native Jim Cotter look like they’re peaking at the right time, while Koe has been shaky.

But in curling, the script doesn’t always play out the way it’s written.