Buzz Blog
Unlike most roller-derby leagues, JCRD’s two teams shuffle rosters for every bout. Upside, everybody gets a chance to play at some point during the season and they don’t skate against the same girls all the time. Downside, there’s little chance to develop long-term team chemistry and, as derby announcer-at-large Johnny Crass once coined it, “strategery.” The Aces and Banditas of Saturday night weren’t the same teams that kicked off the season in March, for better and worse.
Zelda Cruz put the Railway Banditas on the scoreboard first with a triple Hot Trick adding up to 15 points in the initial jam. Hilltop Ace Clam Jammer answered back with a 10-point jam, which was quickly shut down with a 20-point scoring run by the Banditas’ D-Vine. Aces Lady Octane (team captain and former Salt City Derby Girls MVP) and Hardcore Headcase poured on the sweat and speed with several impressive jams, closing the gap toward the end of the half. Score at halftime: Railway Banditas 70, Hilltop Aces 55.
Despite the Banditas’ amped-up defense in the opening of the second half and strategery in calling off several jams early before the Aces could score, Hardcore Headcase and Clam Jammer continued to rack up points, anyway. Banditas blockers Dominique Trix, Driven Insanity and Tattered Angel delivered mucho brutal hits to the defense-light Aces, but to no avail: The Hilltop Aces pulled ahead with 90 over the Railway Banditas’ 82 midway through the second half. Lady Octane joined back into the Aces’ scoring frenzy, widening the gap even more. Final score: Hilltop Aces 151, Railway Banditas 114.
Next Junction City Roller Dolls home bout: Saturday, Aug. 28, taking on the Salt City Derby Girls at the Davis Conference Center in Layton. Tickets and info: JCRDolls.com and SLCDerby.com. Full local league schedules: Utah Roller Derby: 2010 Preview.
Shots from Saturday’s JCRD bout (Hilltop Aces in blue, Railway Banditas in black):
