Despite team Red screaming out of the pack with a 15 point jam at the top of the bout by the end of period one team black was 20 points ahead. Period two team Black kept their lead until I (yes, all my fault) got knocked out of bounds in the last jam and thought the person that knocked me out also went out of bounds and hit the floor and so I jumped back on the track in front of them earning myself a one minute stay in the penalty box with a cardboard cutout of G.W. Bush while the unopposed red jammer nearly tied up the game ending period two 98 to 97.
Just before the last period team Red all put their hands in and chanted something and threw their hands towards the heavens like one cohesive machine on 112 wheels while team black lounged around on their bench and sweated. I was worried my team we may have lost heart, but if we had it didn't matter, we had enough skill to pull ahead little by little, scoring 4 - 5 points each play, calling it (ending the play) and restarting with a fresh jammer every couple of minutes during the last period. The short plays were welcome as some of the heaviest hits were landed during the last period. My legs weren't listening to what I was telling them anymore, especially after getting sent into the chairs skates first landing in Tally Turmoil's lap. Moments after finding my way back onto the track I took a hit from Jen Detta's shoulder square in the chest. It was so hard I'm pretty sure it may have chopped 4 seconds off of the end of my life (I'm ok Mom, no permanent marks, really.) The short jam strategy worked to our advantage in the end and the Black and Bruise Sisters won by 20-ish points. Final score 150-ish to 130-ish*.
To the crowd's pleasure there was a fight in the last four seconds of the bout. Just before the clock wound down a blocker form our side and a jammer from their side went down right in front of our bench and then it was all a flury of red and black swinging and kicking with referee stripes zooming in from all directions to pulling them apart. The fight, lasting a whole three seconds, will I'm sure be what the crowd remembers the longest, however I will remember how much fun and how sweet everyone was to us. Thank you ladies.
*I'm not sure why I can never catch the score and remember it at the end of a bout. I think something about the roller derby makes me revert to using the primal part of my brain and the rest slows down to make room for fight or flight fun. Honestly it sometimes takes an hour or so for me to be able to answer questions intelligently after a bout (and sometimes even practice.) I sometimes say "Helmet on Brain off" to explain my bewilderment to newer team mates who ask me to further explain the strategy behind plays that just happened.
The Warrior, Me & Val Cappone
Jammers: Sugar & Slice, Pink Taco, Me, the Warrior & Ms. Quik
Red White and Bruise 1-23-09 Davenport, IA
4 comments:
Sounds like you had a great time, and made some new skatey mate friends as well. Your hair has grown alot since I last saw you at a Roller Derby Divas practice almost 2 years ago. Of course my hair is just about as long as yours since I haven't cut it for the past 3 years myself. Don't know how you survive those nasty bone chilling winters back there, I could never go back to living in the cold weather, I've turned into an Arizona Wuss.
Haha! Good recap. Yeah, you sneaked through the pack past me earlier in the bout, so I figured I'd better remind you that I was there. Four seconds?! I should have a surgeon general warning on my uniform about that maybe..."Warning, being hit by Jen Detta may take four seconds off your life."
Oh, and I love that group photo. May I steal it?
Jen Detta - Yes, you most certainly should steal it! and I think a surgeon general warning is in order.
Arizona - I always used to say I was going to move to AZ as soon as I could. I loved it so much when we visited. I just don't know why I'm not there now.
Whoo hooo! What great fun, it sounds like heart pounding excitement and fun.
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