Top Seeds Dominate

First two bouts are history. Texas defeats Carolina, TXRG 125, CRG 61. Then Gotham dismantles Duke City, GGRD 182, DCD 25.

Carolina (E4) v. Texas (W1)
The first bout saw Texas go ahead by 36-0 after 7 jams in period 1. Carolina could not get anything going, particularly due to a Texas defense disrupting the Carolina pack. Carolina finally got on the boar in the 8th jam with a 4-0 by Roxy Rocket over Rice Rocket. Things got messy with a lot of penalty action on both sides and after the 12th jam ended in a Jammerless Jam, it was TXRG 36, CRG 13. Bloody Mary (TXRG) then put a 12-0 run in the 13th. Carolina would gain some ground as Texas started to fill the Sin Bin, and at the half it was TXRG 52, CRG 36.

The second period featured more penatly action on both sides, but midway through it really took Carolina apart. At one point the refs had to call a timeout to sort out the order of Carolina players to cycle through the box. Continually short handed against the strong Texas team was not a path to a comeback. Carolina would only score in 4 of the 15 second period jams, as Texas used every power jam situation to build the lead. After the 11th second period jam, Texas was up; TXRG 104, CRG 61. That would be the last CRG scoring and it ended 5 jams later; TXRG 125, CRG 61. This was a 73-25 run in the second for Texas.

Duke City Derby (W4) v. Gotham Girls Roller Derby (E1)
Gotham owned this from start to finish. The blocking of the whole team was crushing and kept the Duke pack from ever working effectively together, including a notable performance by Fisti Cuffs. Fisti seems to have a Jammer radar that keeps her in just the right spot to hold up the opposing jammer. With the Duke pack continually disrupted, the Duke jammers of Muffin, Kamikaze Kim, and Meep Meep, could rarely find a path through the pack. The GGRD Jammers of Bonnie Thunders, Suzy Hotrod, and Cheap Skate provided on clinic on offense. Bonnie and Suzy combined for 75 of 98 GGRD first half points. Cheap Skate, Fisti Cuffs, and Sweet Sherry Pie also got thier licks in. After 4 jams, it was GGRD 10, DCD 1. After 10, it was GGRD 56, DCD 4. By the end of P1, GGRD had this one under control, GGRD 98, DCD 8.

Duke did slightly better in Period 2. After 10 jams in P2, it was GGRD 150, DCD 17. So Duke was able to get some scoring going, and had a few jams that they dominated. But this bout is a testament to why GGRD is called the "Beast Of The East". Control of just about every aspect of the track. Gotham put the exclamation point when Surly Temple put a huge block on Muffin sending her sprawling and out of breath. Gotham was not giving an inch from beginning to end. It was a 84-17 run for Gotham in the second with a final of: GGRD 182, DCD 25.

Both top seeds were dominant and focused on preventing any chance of a major upset at this stage. Today Texas will face the winner of Windy City (E2) v. Rat City (W3), and Gotham will face the winner of B.ay A.rea D.erby (W2) v. Philly (E3).

Congratulations to my New Mexico brethren of Duke City. I was very proud of thier effort, fighting to the end. It was great to see the crowd demand a final track skate from them. Cinderella may have left the house for now. But not for long.

Today. Got my Gotham shirt on. Can now root for Ex-TRD'ers Fisti and Hard Anya against BAD or Philly.

'till tomorrow.

Don B.