DALLAS, TX -- Five teams from the birthstate of flat-track derby, Texas, get together for the third annual Governor's Cup tournament on Sunday. Like previous years, the tournament structure finds four younger leagues from across the state competing for a chance to go up against a B-squad from Austin's Texas Rollergirls.

As the younger leagues have improved in endurance and skills over the years, the Governor's Cup has come more to represent a more traditional structure.

2006's inaugural edition had the younger leagues Assassination City, Alamo City, Dallas and Houston playing in a four team single-elimination structure, with bouts only 15 minutes long and the winner playing a 10 minute period against Texas. That year, Dallas defeated Assassination City in the final, but lost to Texas in the bonus period.

In 2007, all five teams returned for a slightly different sequel. The games became full-length regulation bouts, and the Texas squad entered the second round with a bye. This time around, Houston would defeat Dallas to reach the final, but lose to Texas in the championship.

This year's edition features the same structure, but Houston will not be joining the original five teams again, as the city recovers from Hurricane Ike and the league prepares to host the Western Regional tournament in just two weeks. Stepping in their place is the newest WFTDA league in Texas, the West Texas Roller Dollz of Lubbock.

The opening bout finds #47th-ranked Alamo City matching up with #42 Assassination City. Both teams have been notably quiet in interleague play -- in fact, previous to their recent loss to West Texas, the last WFTDA interleague bout Assassination City played was at last year's Governor's Cup, when they squashed Alamo City 144-57. Alamo City also only has one other WFTDA interleague match to their name since then, a 141-33 thumping from Northwest Arkansas.

Both teams have four WFTDA bouts in their history -- Alamo City has never won, while Assassination City is 3-1 with their only loss to West Texas.

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Atta MiWay 24 // Barbara Coa 140 // BeatHer Bailey 1100010 // Crash N'Burnadette 22 // Dead Lee 5 // Develyne Disguise 666 // Dita Gone Rotten 925 // GoGo Ballistic M1A1 // Jack the Biscuit 4% // Kitty Glitter 78 // Pleasure to BeatYa 1996 // Santa Ria 888 // Shay Manyu 5x5 // Skully Vera 7502 // Speedyrella 5150 // Steffen Wolf 81 // Tailspin Tammy 428 // Tonya Hurting 420 // Under Doll 1949 // Virgo Vengeful 914

Brandi Danger 13 // Harassiz Mine 00 // Kernal Angus 27 // LuAnn Splatter $6.99 // Mary-Ate Ashely -1 // Massey Graves 999 // Mia Hammer 40oz // Mona Bruis'r 911 // NebrAss Kick'r I-80 // Olive Illegal 717 // Pyro Maim Ya 10-70 // Red Hot Rage 55 // Rehabigail 12-step // Sloane Gunman 38special // Vanna Rockin' 1970s // Wendy O Wheels RIP '98

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Bout 2 will present unranked West Texas with a serious challenge, as they draw Regionals-bound #21 Dallas. West Texas has come from out of nowhere this year to quickly establish themselves as a force in Texas derby -- they easily rolled over Route 66 in their March inaugural bout and defeated a home team from Assassination City in April before recently defeating Ass City's all-stars by a convincing final of 136-66.

However, Dallas will be a significant test of how far they've really come. WTRD was steamrolled by #17 Duke City 149-31 back in April, and just one month late Duke City and Dallas would play to a near stalemate, with Duke City coming out ahead by a mere point, 63-62.  

Dallas is tuning up for the Western Regionals in two weeks; their most recent bout was a battle with #14 Boston that was quite close at halftime before Boston closed ranks and won solidly, 113-46.

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Cool Rockin RoLLetta 23 // Freak Naz-T 607 // Hotwhlzz 33 // Lethal Whoopin M16 // Marie LaRolle 80 // Mulisha Maiden 27 // Rainbow Brat 88 // Rollin Atkinson 5 // Scary Go Round 30.07 // SLyDeR 7 // Smack in the Box 34D // Smokin' EnJen 1-3-8-9 // Twanda 29 // Wild Wookie 55

Ali Gorey 1891 // Anita Riot 138 // Ann R Key K80 // Barooski 15 // Cheatin' Chong 420 // Desi Deck Em 5 Finger Discount // Heike DeSkirt 36-24-36 // Hot 4 Teacher A+ // Keltic Kamikaze 3 Jiggers // Kick Face Trace 1313 // Lickity Splittail 241 // Mercy 1 // Rink Panther 0210 // Scary Cherry Bang Bang 505 // Shocker 21 // Strawberry Deathcake 2000

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The Texas crew will get the winner of Alamo City / Assassination City, while the winner of West Texas / Dallas advances directly to the final. As has been their custom in the Governor's Cup, the Texas squad will contain a handful of all-stars among a crew comprised mostly of local-team talent. This version appears to have 7 members who are on the 20-player roster for at Western Regionals: Rice Rocket, Sparkle Plenty, Vicious Van GoGo, Belle Starr, Friction VixXxen, Shank and Morphine.

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Ann T. Pathic 333 // Babe Ruthless 9 // Belle Starr 1889 // Booty Queen XXX // Friction VixXxen 15 // Grand Master Slash 11 // I Candye 69 // Morphine 22 // Mary Lou Threaten 84 // Radioactive 97.9 // Rice Rocket 3e8 // Ruby Wring 52 // Seek Andistroy 722 // Shank cb4 // Sparkle Plenty 00 // Vicious van GoGo 53

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Finally (or, firstly), in a special pre-tourney, full-length men's exhibition, the fellows from the Dallas Deception will be going at it with an irregular men's team made up of boy-derby luminaries from across the nation playing under the name Manifest Destiny.

The Deception had previously skated at the “Throwdown In The Sound” men’s tournament in Tacoma, WA last March, coming home with a 3-1 record, despite showing up with the smallest roster.  Their skilled and effective blocking paved the way for their 1-2 jamming combo of Johnny “Pocket” Rocket and Matomic, who both put on an impressive display of speed and gutsy resiliency. Since then, Dallas has expanded their roster and held a few public scrimmages as a split-squad to get ready for their next competition.
 
Hailing from both coasts and many points in between, Manifest Destiny is comprised of male skaters from various leagues.  Teams currently represented are the Puget Sound Outcast Derby (Tacoma, WA), Diamond City Death Kings (Wilkes Barre, PA), Southern Scallywags (Fayetteville, AK) and the New York Shock Exchange (NYC).  Puget Sound took the championship at the “Throwdown” finishing undefeated against all opponents, while Diamond City gained a reputation for being an unrelenting force during some closely contested bouts during the day-long event. The members of the Southern Scallywags will be making their first public bouting appearance.

Rhino VP4 // Short Bus (infinity) // Vanilla Ice Pick word 2 your motha // BRÜT EAT ME // Matomic st00pid fast // Johnny "Pocket" Rocket 01 // Bambi Legs 30/30 // Mr. Clean 187 // Chief Running Drunk 117 // I Kilt you 1746 // B.A.D.D. 2 // Shrillt 45 // Texas Scold'Em aces & 8's

Manifest Destiny: Smalls  69 // Captain Jay Sparrow 85 // Megasoreass *infinity* (Southern Scallywags) // Cory Pain 19 // Quadzilla 23 // Hollywood Chuck Bury 247 (Puget Sound Derby Outcasts) // Gym Class Hero 21 // Body Count 213 // Biff Huxtable 13 (Diamond City Death Kings) // Rinkworm 11 (New York Shock Exchange)

Additional reporting: Phil Arnold, Lethal Whoopin', Rinkworm