SQUADS FACE EACHOTHER AGAIN AT JULY’S TITLE BOUT
by the Grand Poobah
(ST. LOUIS, MO) If Saturday’s action at the All-American was any indication - then the 2010 championship bout for ARRG will be ridden on an emotional roller coaster.
A 20-point halftime lead helped pace the Stunt Devils to an 85-77 victory over the Smashinistas in ARRG’s final regular season bout of the season.
The win gave the defending league champion a perfect 4-0 record in intraleague action - a record that at one time seemed impossible for some members of the legacy franchise of ARRG.
“Having in the past the worst record in the league to having an undefeated record this season is so freakin’ amazing,” said veteran Stunt Devil blocker Grave Danger following the bout.
But don’t be fooled by the final score - the camo princesses almost stole the “W” away from the ladies in purple with the final jam of the bout.
And even in defeat, their second to the Stunts this season, the Smashies know that they have an opportunity to seek revenge as the two teams meet again in the quest for the league trophy on Saturday, July 10 at the All-American.
“We get a re-do,” said Smashinista jammer The Educator following the bout. “We get to win the next one.”
And that mantra was quickly recognized by the Stunts, who found out that the squad they played on Saturday was jelling at the right time.
“Clearly the Smashies are going to challenge us at the championnship,” said Stunt jammer Morgan LeFaetal. “It’s going to be a really intense game.”
And intense completely describes the numerous, dramatic swings the bout went through Saturday night.
To the surprise of many, points would come few and far between in the bout’s first twenty minutes. Thanks to stingy defense on both sides, neither team gained a true advantage.
In a game of “derby chess,” both teams match each other move-for-move in the first five jams. Eight minutes into the bout, the Stunt Devils possessed a 7-6 edge.
Then came the bout’s first true eye-opening moment.
Smashie scoring leader The Educator raced to the front of the pack and collected an 8-point tally, which gave the ladies in camo a 14-9 lead at the 21:20 mark.
If anything, the Smashies’ message to the high-scoring Stunt Devil squad was now crystal clear - “now you’re playing OUR game.”
The Stunts countered with a two-point jam by Artemischief and a four-pointer by South City Shiner, which now saw the defending champs on top 15-14.
And to their credit, the Smashinistas did not break under pressure. In fact, they became motivated by the challenge.
While the holding the Stunts scoreless for the next five minutes, the Smashies regained the lead thanks to Educator’s three-pointer with 12:09 left in the first half.
Down 17-15 a third of the bout in, the Stunts appeared frustrated. The squad’s two top scorers were being held to well below their scoring averages and they were being doubled up on obtaining lead jammer status.
In short, it wasn’t a fun ride early on for the defending champions - and the frustration needed to be controlled.
”With women’s sports, it’s about having a certain amount of aggression, but also you have to contain that aggression,” said the Stunts’ LeFaetal of the predicament.
And it seems apropos that LeFaetal herself - by containing that aggression - would be one of the Stunts to shift the momentum of the game in the first half’s final ten minutes.
The youngster’s 3-pointer with 10:00 remaining gave the Stunt Devils an 18-17 edge. Artemischief followed with two to extend the lead to three.
The Smashinistas answered with Punches Pileup’s two point jam. The lead was now down to one point.
Then it was time for the Stunts to play ITS game.
The purple skaters collected the next three jams in the first half’s final five minutes. Artemischief scored a four-pointer while Shiner collected four of her own.
Up 28-19, the Stunts delivered a shot to the Smashies that sent the ladies into a tailspin - an Artemischief double grand slam as the clock wound down. The 10-pointer with :25 left would put the exclamation on a Stunts’ 19-0 stretch run - and a 39-19 lead at the halftime break.
The Stunts would continue the roll to begin the second half of play. The defending champs would outscore the Smashies 20-10 in the second half’s first eleven minutes. Thanks to Shiner’s 8-point tally with 19:10 left to play, the Stunt Devils possessed a 59-31 lead.
The bout - itself a foreshadowing of next month’s league championship - then took a strange turn and featured a foreshadowing of things to come later that night.
With 18:50 remaining, time stood still….literally.
A power malfunction shut down circuitry to the scoreboard and silenced the public address system. And ARRG officials called for a suspension of play while officials at the All-American frantically worked on restoring power.
When play resumed ten minutes later, it provided a fresh jump to the Smashies. Downtown Dallis scored five quick out of the gates to cut the gap to 59-36 Stunts.
And much like the beginning stretch of the game, both teams traded points as the second half progressed - the highlight being Educator’s 9-point power jam with 7:30 remaining to make the score 75-53.
Following a two-point score by the Stunts’ Shiner, Dallis’ grand slam for the Smashies decreased the Stunt’s advantage to 19 points.
Feeling the pressure, the Stunts countered with a pair of four-pointers by LaFaetal and Shiner to give the purple contingent a commanding 85-58 with 3:16 remaining.
The Educator collected four on the next jam for the Smashies, but time was now becoming a factor. Perhaps too little, too late, as the deficit was now 23 points.
The Stunts, sensing victory, offered a rare jam to longtime pivot Mayor Francis Slayer. The sign of respect to the ARRG veteran resulted in no points, but with an 85-62 lead with under a minute remaining, this was to give everyone on the Stunts roster a chance to revel in an undefeated regular season.
All seemed well in the world for the Stunts….until the final jam.
As the game clock reached the :30 mark, the Educator raced to the front of the pack and obtained lead jammer status for the Smashies.
And then it happened again - a power failure.
Which in this case did not matter on the game clock, for the 2:00 jam clock was now the element that dictated the final scoring.- which now was uncertain for there no numbers to read by anyone in ARRG Nation.
The key number crucial to the Smashies was “23″ - the current deficit.
And the Stunts were about to be taken to school as the Educator began to rack up points….very, very quickly.
And to the shock of all those in attendance, the Smashies were coming close…dangerously close to tying. In fact, most could tell that Educator had netted multiple grand slams in the process.
Amid all the confusion taking place, the question had to be asked…..just how many points was she scoring?
When ARRG Official Timer Hi-Refinition blew the final whistle to signal the end of the jam - and the bout - the drama was at a fever pitch. And the tension was high as Educator’s points were being calculated.
The Smashies needed 23 points to tie - The Educator scored 15. And the purple contingent knew that they had dodged a huge bullet in the eight point win.
The 85-77 final served multiple purposes for both squads post-bout, who meet again for the league’s top prize in three weeks.
”We definitely know what we need to work on going into the championship game,” said Danger. “We know that we cannot take the Smashies lightly.”
South City Shiner lead the Stunt Devils in scoring with 31 points, followed by Artemischief’s 29 and Morgan LeFaetal’s 19.
And all three jammers will be on the radar of the Smashinistas - who will look for the franchise’s first title at the re-match next month.
“I think we’re going in aware, but confident,” said The Educator, who finished with a bout-high 49 points. ”I feel like we’ve got some work to do, a few things to tweak, and I think we can take it.”
Downtown Dallis added 15 for the Smashies (1-3), while Punches Pileup added 13.
But now with the regular season in full closure, the slate is wiped completely clean for both sides.
All stats are reset to zero on Saturday, July 10 - and neither team wants to be known as the runner-up.
“It’s going to be knock-down, drag out, full-on derby brawl,” foreshadowed Danger.
Indeed, she is correct.
UNOFFICIAL SCORING
Stunt Devils: South City Shiner 31, Artemischief 29, Morgan LeFateal 19, Mighty Mighty Boston 6
Smashinistas: The Educator 49, Downtown Dallis 15, Punches Pileup 13
NOTES FROM THE POOBAH
Thanks to all who came out on a busy Father’s Day weekend to enjoy women’s flat track roller derby action. There were many dads who were in the audience who continue to support their daughters in the sport that they love so much. Whether you were a dad, a spouse or a significant other to a skater, thank you for your support to the women of the league who make this an important part of their lives.
Much thanks should go out to our media partners who continue to spread the word of ARRG, including KPLR-TV and KTVI-TV, who did an amazing job down the stretch. Thanks to you all for your continued support.
And thanks to all who patiently sat through our extended timeout during the bout while we had a malfunction in the junction with our electricity. An impromptu calvade of entertainment - including skating stunts by ARRG officials, the “worm” executed by Joanie Rollmoan, a belly flop by Hells LaBelle and the “wave” by ARRG Nation - proceeded to make a long break not seem so long.
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT ONLINE
Saturday, July 10 will be here before you know it, and you - a member of the derby-lovin’ public - do not want to be shut out from the action. The 2010 ARRG Championship, featuring the Stunt Devils and the Smashinistas has a special start time of 7 PM. And once again it’s two bouts for the price of one as the STLGatekeepers - the men’s flat track roller derby squad of St. Louis - participate in an intrasquad exhibition prior to the title bout.
The last time there was a double-dip of derby action featuring ARRG and the Gatekeepers - the building reached maximum capacity - so much so that patrons were turned away at the door due to fire occupancy issues.
I can’t stress this enough - if you don’t have a ticket already for Saturday, July 10 - GET IT NOW!
Go to Brown Paper Tickets online to order your tickets.
If you don’t…you probably will only hear about the final.
ARRG TO PARTICPATE AT PRIDEFEST THIS SUNDAY
The Arch Rival Roller Girls will again participate in the official PrideFest parade, to be held Sunday, June 27 on South Grand in St. Louis. The parade route, which makes its way down South Grand Avenue to Tower Grove Park, begins at 12 noon.
This continues ARRG’s involvement of community events in 2010 - which has included the St. Louis St. Patrick’s Day Parade, HeatUp St. Louis and Macklind Days.
The parade is just one of numerous events going on during the two-day celebration this weekend. For more information about St. Louis PrideFest 2010, check their official website HERE.
When not playing Horse Hooky at Fairmount Park, The Grand Poobah and Hells LaBelle are bout announcers for the 2010 season of the Arch Rival Roller Girls. Check back in this section on Mondays for the latest in ARRG news and information.
