By Justice Feelgood Marshall, Last updated Tue Nov 10 2009 7:35pm

Philly | Gotham | Boston | Windy City | Madison | Detroit | Texas | Kansas City | Houston | Oly | Rocky Mountain | Denver

Detroit (#3 North Central)

First bout: vs. Gotham, 8:45pm Friday

2009 WFTDA record: 8-4

2009 biggest win: 275-56 over Madison, October 10

2009 biggest loss: 119-59 to Windy City, March 28

2009 closest bout: 107-95 loss to Madison, September 19

2009 background: Something of an odd up-and-down year for Detroit, as they lost to two teams that didn't qualify for Nationals -- Rat City and Charm City -- but also defeated two teams that will be heading to Nationals, Boston and Madison. The Detroit / Madison situation is a particularly good example of the strange nature of Detroit's year. Detroit lost in the semifinals of the North Central regionals 107-95, and was therefore relegated to 3rd place in that tournament and its attendant 3 seed slot in Nationals, but Detroit roared back three weeks later to pulverize Madison 275-76.

Tournament history: Detroit was a surprise party crasher at the 2007 Nationals after they dealt Minnesota an upset at that year's Eastern Regionals, and although they didn't make it to Nationals in 2008, they quite nearly knocked out Philly in a 10-point loss during 2008 Eastern Regionals.

Lowdown: Detroit fulfills their city's rep for physical defense, as they've got one of the more bruising lineups coming to Philly -- last year's aforementioned Regionals clash with Philly was a brutal matchup of power on power in the pack. Even most of Detroit's offensive weapons, particularly Sarah Hipel and Racer McChaseher, are power jammers that are every bit as likely to knock an opposing blocker of their way as to wait for a hole to develop. That doesn't mean they lack in speed, though -- a star pass at North Central Regionals allowed Detroit's Racer and Sista Slit'chya to combine for one of the only two 30-point jams in WFTDA tournament history.

Players to watch: Sista Slit'chya has come on the Detroit all-star scene as an important new jammer in 2009 and vet Boo D. Livers has been reliable for a long time, but it's the Detroit blockers that provide most of the fireworks. Look out for Cookie Rumble, Black Eyed Skeez and Rock Candy -- along with double-threat Hipel and Racer -- to be dispensing measured violence left and right in the pack.

Road to the championship: Like fellow 3 seed Houston, Detroit has an extremely tough road ahead of them. First they'd have to take down defending champs Gotham, and follow that up by knocking off West champ Oly, still undefeated in 2009. After that, it's Windy City, Denver or Kansas City standing between Detroit and a trip to the championship bout.

Roster: Black Eyed Skeez 313 // boo d. livers 24/7 // Bruisie Siouxxx 303 // Bytch Ryder 44 // Cookie Rumble 33 // Del Bomber 76 // Devil Kitty 20 // Diesel Doll I75 // Elle McFearsome 6 // Fatal Femme 46 // Honey Suckit 1974 // Polly Fester 100% // Racer McChaseHer 28 // Rock Candy 10 // Roxanna Hardplace 3 // Sarah Hipel 989 // Sista Slit'chya 5 // Summers Eve-L 68 // Vega Vendetta 181 // Vicious Vixen 0