OUR STATE.. OUR DERBY!!

This past Saturday was a night with overlapping bouts in Phoenix and Tucson. In Phoenix, the Arizona Derby Dames were skating at the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum. Honestly, this was my first AZDD bout in over a year and I will say that league has been able to make the most out of the Vet and put on one impressive presentation. The 0-2 (AZ Power Rankings #11) Bombshells would take on the 1-0 (#5) Runaway Brides. In addition, the 1-0 (#8) School Yard Scrappers would take on the 1-1 (#7) Coffin Draggers. Meanwhile down in Tucson, the 4-1 (#1) VICE Squad would take on the 2-3 (#9) Iron Curtain.

ARIZONA DERBY DAMES: RUNAWAY BRIDES 96 - BOMBSHELLS 55

The Runaway Brides, skating without team captain Ann Thrash who was under the weather came out screaming dominating the first period with lead jams. Ellie Mayhem has a 8 point jam against Goody Goody Blooddrop. Vanessa Velocity would then pick up a 7 point jam against Prima Donna. While the Brides were picking more points, the Bombshell jammers were keeping up with the Bride jammers. Definitely an improvement over the 2008 Bombshells. A jammer fight would mark the end of the first half 52-32, Brides.

The second half would open with Ellie Mayhem getting 4 points over Prima Donna. Vanessa Velocity would get 8 points in the second jam to further widen the margin. The final jam would be 3-on-3 as both teams had two skaters in the penalty box (all 4 sharing two chairs). The bout ends with the Runaway Brides winning their second bout of the season and the Bombshells going to 0-3. This was the last bout for Runaway Bride’s star jammer Stilhetto Wheels, who is moving out of the country. We wish her well. Final score 96-55.

ARIZONA DERBY DAMES: SCHOOL YARD SCRAPPERS 63 - COFFIN DRAGGERS 50

This one was very hard to call because these teams are very strong in both the blocking and jamming departments. The Scrappers are a little stronger. The first jam would start with Dr. Mary Lu Bottomy for the Draggers and Mizz Nashty for the Scrappers. Nashty would pick up the lead jam. In the next jam, Coffin Draggers’ Heather Skelter would pick up the first lead jam for the morgue girls. The margin of the game stayed pretty close throughout the first period as the score had tied in a couple of places. Two significant extended take downs took place as Dragger Ginger Mortis would take on the Scrappers’ LoLo. Later on, league co-founder All The Way Mae on the Scrappers would have an altercation with the Draggers’ Katie Kills. Derby fans and skaters had a scare when Scrapper Kat Von Double-D’s went down in the final jam. The stadium got unusually quiet as medical technicians were working on her. She would eventually get up to a cheering crowd. She told REAL Derby that she took a hit to the ribs. All The Way Mae would go to the penalty box in this final jam and the half ends with the Scrappers up 29-25.

Scrappers jammer Mizz Nashty rejoins the jam without her helmet.

In the first jam of the second half, Dragger Dr. Mary Lu Bottomy would take on the Scrappers’ Mizz Nashty. In the same first jam, we had another scare as Scrapper LoLo went down in turn 4. She crawled into the infield leaving another episode of deafening silence in the madhouse until the crowd started to chant “Lo-Lo, Lo-Lo, Lo-Lo…”. LoLo would get up with the assistance of the medical personnel with one of her skates off. The jam would restart with Mizz Nashty and Mary Lu. Mary Lu had difficulty as a result of team blocking by former Arizona Bruisers Mink Stole and Bad Betty. LoLo would return only to get into a fight with the Draggers’ Nacho Girlfriend. While the margin was slightly towards the Scrappers, the margin would widen when rookie jammer Jenna Talls would score a 10 point jam (best jam of the night) and put the Scrappers farther ahead. Kat Von Double D’s would eventually return to the bout. In a very confusing final jam between Dr. Mary Lu Bottomy and Mizz Nashty, Nash appears to have been involved in an extended take down (fight) with an unknown skater in turn 3. We could not see it too well from our turn 1 vantage point. It appeared that Nash was going to the penalty box. She would then return to the jam without her helmet on. She would eventually get escorted to the penalty box by ref Oliver Klozhov. Despite the powerjam opportunity by the Draggers, the bout would end with the Scrappers squeezing by, 63-50.

TUCSON ROLLER DERBY: VICE SQUAD 67 - IRON CURTAIN 54

In what is being described as an electrifying bout, the VICE Squad were able to edge by the Iron Curtain. At one time, the IC had the lead. Jammer penalties costed the IC dearly. Both of these teams have completed their regulation season. VICE will finish 5-1 and Iron Curtain will finish 2-4.

Coming up next weekend, Arizona Roller Derby “Battle Royale” championship bout. We’ll see you there!