Texas (#1) Advances to Region Championship bout over Tampa (#4)

By Shelly Shankya

The early point exchange between Texas Rollergirls (#1) and Tampa Roller Derby (#4) in Game 9 of Landlocked Lace Up was nickel-and-dimed. However, Texas slowly edged out the team from Tampa with consistent lead jammer status and tactical jam call-offs.

Photo by Jennifer M. Ramos

Texas jammer Olivia Shootin' John grabbed 16 unanswered points in the twelfth jam, and thoroughly established a point spread in the Texecutioners' favor at 35 points. Tampa brought the lead gap to 32 at one point when Lil A pulled out a 9-point jam after Vicious Van GoGo dropped the jammer helmet cover on the track and had to retrieve it before being able to score points.

With low penalties on both teams in the first--Texas with seven minutes in the box and Tampa with 10--the game play was largely five-on-five roller derby. Tampa jammer Lil Bit got a major track cut, opening the door for Texas jammer Killbox to nearly double the team's point spread after scoring 29 points. Texas blocker Polly Gone was seemingly stuck to all of Tampa's blocker, and with the assistance of Shortcut and Smarty Pants, Texas was able to hold Tampa to 36 points in the first half. The score at halftime was 122-36.

As low as the penalties were in the first half, it all changed during the second. Frequently there were micro-packs, with only two blockers each for Tampa and Texas, though passing the blockers proved difficult for both teams' jammers. Tampa's blockers Bettie Kruger and Lunch Lady were able to hold Killbox for 40 seconds before she got lead jammer, and that wasn't the only time big jammer hold times played a significant roll in the game. Texas blockers successfully held Tampa jammer Rojo Grande for the entirety of the seventeenth jam, who decided to switch to defense when the pack numbers dwindled as Tampa blockers went to the box.

The Texecutioners grabbed lead jammer 17 out of the 22 jams during the second half, and that reflected their commitment to leading the game. Likewise, the low number of jammer trips to the box in the second, with only two, helped them firm up the win. Texas won 249-98 and advances to the Region Championship bout on Day 3, and secures a spot at WFTDA Championships in November. Tampa will play for third in the region and the third spot at Championships.

Texas Rollergirls (#1) 249
Tampa Roller Derby (#4) 98