Tucson, AZ

By PyRo Blaze

Game 6 of the 2015 International WFTDA Playoffs in Tucson, Arizona, reinforced a cardinal rule of successful game play: power jams are deadly.

Before the whistle, one might have expect a relatively close game between Rocky Mountain Rollegirls (RMRG) of Denver, Seed 4 in the Tucson D1 tournament, against Seed 5, Charm City Rollergirls of Baltimore. But that assumption dissolved almost immediately.

Photo by Bill Zingraf

Rocky started fast and hard with heavy hits, drawing first blood with 2 points by Sweet Mary Pain. By Jam 2, Charm City had given up their first power jam, repeating those jammer trips to the box nearly 10 times in the first half. Halfway through the first period, Rocky’s 93 points were answered by 3 for Charm City. Though Rocky jammers warmed the box a few times themselves, Charm City was often unable to take advantage of the opportunity to score, with a notable exception during a star pass after Rocky’s power jam start in Jam 15, when Charm City’s Holly Gohardly scored 15 points. (Unfortunately, Rocky had already scored 13 by the time Charm City’s jammer was freed from the box).

Over and over, Charm City fell to Rocky’s relentless defense, led by Fiona Grapple and May Q Pay, who are able not only to hold formations and hit solidly in pairs, trios, and quads without breaking a sweat, but are champions at bridging backwards to draw cuts or force jammers to enter behind the pack and fight their way to the front again. Charm City’s Dottie Deathwish rallied in Jam 19, acrobatically avoiding those walls with an excellent apex jump to the outside. Nonetheless, the first period closed 184-37 in Rocky’s favor after multiple grand slams by jammer Sweet Mary Pain and notable points by Suzy Pow, who recently joined Rocky from –wait for it—Charm City.

Photo by Isaac Anaya

The second lesson of Bout 6 addresses an issue that is fast becoming gospel in the Book of Derby: commit to your walls. At times, Charm City would be able to contain Rocky’s jammers with a solid triangle or circle defense. To their detriment, these formations were usually all too easy to collapse.

The second period brought more of the same action, to a lesser degree. Charm City earned lead more regularly and Rocky jammers had their own penalty trouble. Yet when Charm City rallied, Rocky answered back. Charm City hit a bright spot slightly after halfway through the second period, when Rocky’s Sharon Tacos warmed the box for three straight jams and Dottie Deathwish scored 27 points with more acrobatic apex jumps and quick toe stop runs in Jam 11. However, Sweet Mary Pain quickly answered back with 28 points in Jam 13.

While Charm City’s relative score inched up in the last half, the final score of 324-125 brought no real surprises. Rocky Mountain advances to the semifinals to play Victorian Roller Derby League at 8 PM MST Saturday. Charm City will play Tri-City Roller Derby at 12 pm MST Saturday.

FINAL SCORE

Rocky Mountain Rollergirls (#4) 324
Charm City Roller Girls (#5) 125