Close Shave in Roseville

Bay Area's All Stars slipped by the Sacred City Sacrificers in Roseville (home of Sacred City Derby Girls) Saturday, July 19th, 99 to 84. As the Sacrificers tied the game up in the second half and took a brief lead before Kitt Turbo and the All Stars reestablished their dominance and secured the victory in the final jam.

Recently, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) came out with their 2nd quarter ranking of the nation's top flat track teams and Bay Area was voted to the nation's sixth, just after Kansas City, New York, Seattle, North Carolina, and Texas. Sacred City (Sacramento) was ranked 28th. Never the less, this makes Bay Area and Sacred City the two top ranked teams in California.

The last time Bay Area and Sacred played, April 6th of this year, was in the finals of "The Big One", California's first annual Flat Track Derby State Championship and Bay Area won handily 101 to 30. But this time things were different for Bay Area, as the All Stars were playing without their coach and several of their top players. Killer Vee was recovering from leg surgery, co-captain Taxi Scab, Sassy Slayher, Pia Mess, and Grr Lee Burly were recovering from the nasty floor at Herbst Pavilion, when the Oakland Outlaws beat the SF ShEvil Dead, July 12th, and Brawllen Angel was sick. Coach John Diss was serving his WFTDA suspension for his impolite words to Seattle's Refs during the Bay Area - Rat City game, June 21st (Taxi and Sassy were bench coaches for this game). Still Bay Area was more than confident that they had the firepower to do in Sacred.

And in the first eight jams of the first period, all looked under control, as Bay Area collected 6 lead jammers and racked up a 31 to zero score, completely shutting out Sacred. It was during this stretch, that the game claimed it's first two skaters. Sacred and Bay Area, each had a jammer withdraw from the game due to sickness, Sacred's top jammer, Mugshot Mary, retired with four jams and no points and Bay Area's Racey Lane, also called it quits with 2 jams and 10 points. This left both sides with having to recruit a blocker to become a jammer for a while.

Sacred's Coach, Dirty D, was all the time shifting skaters in and out looking for a lineup that would somehow stem the Bay Area onslaught, and in the 9th jam he found what he was looking for. With Bay Area replacement jammer, Diane Rott, in the penalty box, Sacred fielded Slingshot, Daddy's Girl, Gaygan and Shadow Soldier. With Bebe Brewski jamming, Sacred got on the board with a 7 to 0 jam. Coach D ran with that lineup for the next four jams, shutting out Bay Area and cutting the lead almost in half, to 31-14.

But the lineup couldn't hold and the last three jams of the first half ended in storm of penalties and Kitt Turbo's contrails. The 13th jam started well enough for Sacred as they had a blocker advantage over Bay Area and Gaygan took lead jammer over Kitt Turbo. But a back block sends Gaygan to the box and the jam tumbled out of control for a Sacred as the rest of their skaters are either sent to the box or are waiting to get in. Meanwhile Kitt was tearing up the track and after scoring 12 points she calls off the jam. Oops! Wasn't Gaygan lead jammer? This setup the game's first jammerless jam, Liza Machete of Bay Area versus Spillher of Sacred. In the first lap Liza cuts the track and is sent to the sin bin. Spillher racks up 8 points before she too is sent to the box for cutting; another jammerless jam. But Kitt Turbo has served her time and in the next jam collects 6 points from a depleted Sacred before time mercifully runs out on the period.

The score at the half was 49-22, the game well in hand for the Bay Area, but trouble was brewing. Bay Area had not found a 3rd jammer to replace Racey Lane, their blocking had broken down, and if anything happened to Kitt Turbo Bay Area would fall into a hole they probably couldn't get out of. Meanwhile Sacred had seen their chance and Dirty D was filling Sacred with hope, all they needed was a break and they hadn't seen any of those yet.

The first jam of the second half started well enough for Bay Area as Miss Moxxxie picked up lead jammer status quickly and 3 points before Gaygan could score any. But in the 18th jam of the game Sacred saw their first break and they jumped on it. When Kitt Turbo was sent to the penalty box for cutting, Spillher piled up 15 points before Kitt could serve her penalty. This cut the Bay Area lead to 13 points, but the next four jams saw Bay Area steadily pull away, building their lead back up to 25 points, 71 to 46. In the next jam Bay Area stumbled.

With solid blocking and skillful jamming BeBe Brewski skates a grand slam over Miss Moxxxie. And in the next jam Kitt Turbo is sent to the box for TWO minutes for her 4th minor and a cutting major. Sacred runs three jams in the time that Kitt is in the box and gets 5 points from Candy Crusher, 14 points from Gaygan and 4 points from BeBe Brewski. The crowd at Roller King goes crazy, for in those four jams Bay Area is held scoreless, while Sacred picks up 28 points to take the lead 71-74.

But the Bay Area has the heart of champions, they do not panic, they do not despair, they focus on what has to done and do it. In the game's 27th jam, Miss Moxxxie quickly gets lead jammer status and 3 points before Candy Crusher can even get close to the pack, tying the game up 74-74. Then Kitt Turbo ekes out 4-2 jam over Gaygan to take a slender 2 point lead. From there bout sways back and forth with Bay Area first grabbing a further 5 points, only to lose it in the next jam. Kitt and BeBe then go to the box together to create the last jammerless jam of the night. Slingshot calls off the next jam before Liza Machete can score any points. The score is 86-84 Bay Area, there's a minute and 45 seconds left, just enough time for one last jam.

Both teams knew this is it, the winner of this jam will probably win the game. A timeout was called and both teams discussed their strategy. They fielded their best jammers, Kitt Turbo for Bay Area, Candy Crusher for Sacred. Bay Area had the early advantage as they hold a three to two blocker advantage, but Sacred has been beating the odds all night, their luck just had to last for less than two minutes. The crowd is on their feet.

The whistle blows and it begins. Bay Area blockers Liza Machete, Lusty Malice and Demanda Riot setup a wall in front of Sacred blockers Slingshot and Foxy Knoxy. Kitt splits Sacred's blockers and her blockers let her through. Candy gets stuck behind the Bay Area wall. A blocker from each side is let on, Mandi Festo for the Bay Area, and Spillher for Sacred. Kitt is in "full power to the engines" and is zipping around the track. Candy is still stuck as Kitt begins her scoring pass. She sneaks pass Sacred's blockers as they yell at refs for a 20 foot call for Candy. Kitt is through again for a grand slam as Candy cuts the track to gets around Demanda, who is the last Bay Area blocker, and Candy is sent to the box. It's all over for Sacred, but Kitt keeps going, ringing up a total of 13 points before the clock runs out on the game.

Bay Area gets their victory, 99-84, but it's a game that they'd like to forget ever existed.

Bay Area Derby Girls Stats

Skaters	+/-	Block	Jam	Points	P/Box
Demanda Riot	-2	23			4
Diane Rott	-12	4	5	5	2
Kimfectious	-11	2
Kitt Turbo	+10	3	15	58	4
La Chica Mala	-5	9			1
Lemmy Choke'Ya	-2	6
Liza Machete	+20	27	2	0	7
Lusty Malice	+7	19			4
Mandi Festo	+23	26			6
Miss Moxxxie	+5		8	18	1
Racey Lane	+10		2	10
Velveten Savage	+32	13	1	8	3

Sacred City Derby Girls Stats

Skaters	+/-	Block	Jam	Points	P/Box
Bebe Brewski	-7	3	8	19	3
Candy Crusher	-6	2	9	19	2
Chica Loca	-2	3
Daddy's Girl	-4	25			10
Foxy Knoxy	-26	17			3
Gangsta Licious	0	1
Gaygan	-10	8	6	19	6
Hot Toddy	-2	11			1
Mugshot Mary	-16		4	0	1
Shadow Soldier	+15	22			4
Slingshot	+11	25	2	0	4
Spillher	-28	15	4	27	6