TUCSON, AZ -- Tucson's Bladeworld, home of the historic Dust Devil tournaments, was packed Saturday night for the longest-running annual matchup in modern roller derby's history. Representatives from leagues from all over the Southwest (and even as far as Windy City), Tucson alumni, and rabid fans packed the rink for a contest which proved the resiliency and depth of the Tucson league, and the continuing strength of the Texas program.

Tucson, obviously ready to shake any appearance of weakness after an early exit from the national tournament and a lengthy break in interleague play, played with a mix of discipline and aggression that fell just a few paces short of Texas' machinelike stride.

On the first jam, Texas jumped to a quick lead as rookie Texecutioner Olivia Shootin' John exited the pack without lead, and was able to collect four points before Tucson's Carrie Guns could grab lead and call the jam. The teams would split lead and points evenly on the next two jams, until Morphine put up three unanswered points for Texas, moving the score out 7-3 in favor of the visitors.

Sensing a need for a shift in momentum, Tucson put their strongest blocking lineup, headed by Deadlock Doe Holliday at pivot, in with the phenomenally consistent and understated Sloppy Flo at jammer. Despite being tripped by a sprawling fall by Rice Rocket (which sent Rice immediately to the box with a major), Flo recovered, took lead over Vicious Van Go Gogh and scored 7-2. Sami Automatic collected lead on the next jam and put up the second positive Tucson jam of the night, collecting one point against Morphine.

Each team seemed incredibly sensitive to momentum shifts, and Texas would counter this positive run by Tucson with the intimidating intensity of Rice Rocket against Sloppy Flo on Jam 7. Rice quickly grabbed lead and two points, calling the jam to protect her differential.

The tight game would be blown wide open on the next jam, however, as Bloody Mary lined up against Carrie Guns. The jammers approached the pack at the same time, but just as Carrie was about to make her exit, a poorly timed hit sent her down (it also sent Curvette to the box for hitting from behind) and disoriented the pack, allowing Bloody Mary to sail through and collect lead. Visibly shaken, Carrie couldn't escape Belle Star's textbook positional blocking, which stifled her through the entire jam and allowed Bloody Mary to drop a devastating 11-0 jam on the Tramps, bringing the score 26-11 in favor of Texas.

Tucson immediately called a time out and returned to the next jam with a tightened defense. Though Rice Rocket exited the pack first, Sami Automatic was able to collect lead and answer Rice's 4 points with 4 of her own before she called. The next jam seemed to be going in Tucson's favor, as Tumbleweed quickly grabbed lead, but she was leveled by Lucille Brawl at the beginning of her scoring pass and Vicious Van Gogh Go was able to collect 2 to her 1.

Sloppy Flo would not allow her team to be shaken, though, and dropped a quick and crowd-pleasing 5-0 on Morphine. Bolstered by Flo's performance, Sami Automatic seemed ignited in a way that interleague observers hadn't yet seen. She powered past the Texas defense without turning a head and completed two scoring passes before calling the jam, bringing the score to 36-28 with Texas still holding the lead.

Texas answered with Rice Rocket, whose maneuverability and precognitive fakes and instincts had the rollergirl-spectators' jaws on the floor. The only person in Bladeworld who didn't seem impressed was Sloppy Flo at pivot, who leveled Rice on her second pass and forced her to call what could have been a very dangerous jam at a manageable 7-1. The combination of a short Texas pack and a slip on the line by Olivia Shootin' John allowed Sami Automatic to collect a 4-1 on the next jam, which set up the next massive shift in the game, when on the subsequent jam Sloppy Flo dropped a quick and immensely crowd pleasing 10-0 jam on Morphine, bringing Tucson within one point of Texas for the first time, 44-43.

The last two jams would see that jam's differential erased (despite an incredible jammer takeout by Nokka Ho Down for Tucson) as Bloody Mary and Vicious Van Go Gogh picked up 9 total points while the Texas defense held Carrie Guns and Tumbleweed to zero. Score at the half – Texas 53 , Tucson 43. Through the first 30 minutes, Texas had picked up 41 penalties to 28 for Tucson.

Texas introduced pivots Sparkle Plenty and Lucille Brawl to their jammer rotation, and Sparkle lead the assault against Flo in the first jam of the half – exiting the pack and with lead jammer but calling the jam at 0-0 after a trip that sent Eli Wallop to the penalty box. Sami Automatic picked up 11 points on the next jam, but allowed Olivia Shootin' John to answer with 7 of her own.

Penalties seemed to become more prevalent than points over the next few jams, with each team playing intense and at times desperate defense – Lucille Brawl, for example, took Carrie Guns out three times in a single jam -- and neither team was able to put more than a few points on the board. By jam 10, the score stood 70 to 60 in favor of Texas, and the game almost took a dangerous turn for Tucson as Sloppy Flo went to the box unexpectedly at jammer for a cumulative cutting track minor, leaving Olivia Shootin' John unopposed. But Tucson's defense stifled her utterly and within two jams Texas had their own scare as Morphine was sent to the box, allowing Tumbleweed to collect three unanswered points.

It seemed as though Texas wanted to let the clock expire on the last four jams, in which neither team was able to score and the scoreboard seemed stuck at 80 to 67 in favor of Texas. On the penultimate scoring jam of the night, though, Texas suffered a devastating blow as both Bloody Mary and Sparkle Plenty went to the penalty box during the jam, leaving Texas short a jammer and pivot with Sloppy Flo on the track for Tucson and Deadlock Doe heading a full Tucson pack. Flo dutifully and quickly dropped a 10-0 and called the jam with enough time to allow the next jam to start jammerless for Texas with a Tucson very suddenly within striking distance at 80-77.

With 2:45 on the clock, Sami Automatic took the line for Tucson, but Bloody Mary's penalty expired immediately after the second whistle blew and both jammers approached the pack at the same moment. Sami Automatic emerged lead jammer to the deafening roar of the Tucson crowd, but after that amazing first pass, her exhaustion seemed to set in and she fell behind Bloody Mary by almost a full pass. Bloody Mary was in the midst of her second scoring pass and Sami surely seemed to believe that she herself had time for another when the jam clock expired on a heartbreaking 6-4 jam in favor of Texas.

The scoreboard briefly showed the correct score of 86 to 81, but then four of Texas' points fell off the board (Bloody's exit from the penalty box at the start of the jam was probably the source of confusion, though she certainly exited before the pack could pass her and was neck and neck or in front of Sami throughout the jam), leading a raucous and willing home crowd to believe that the score stood at 82 to 81 (this score was widely and erroneously circulated after the bout, as well) with :45 left on the clock.

Disastrously for the home team, Tucson had already exhausted their time-outs earlier in the period and thirty precious seconds bled off the clock, leaving only 15 seconds on for the final jam between Rice Rocket and Sloppy Flo. Neither jammer broke the pack and the clock expired with Texas holding a 5-point lead, the second-slimmest margin ever in this annual matchup.

Stats

Leading scorers for Texas were Bloody Mary with 25 points in 8 jams for a 3.1 points per jam average and a +1.13 average differential. Rice Rocket led Texas in average differential with a +2, with 22 points in 7 jams and an average of 3.14 ppj. Olivia Shootin' John was the other Texas Jammer with a positive average point differential, with +.17 on 19 points scored over 6 jams for an average of 3.16 points per jam. Defensively, Belle Star, Sparkle Plenty and Lucille Brawl had excellent games – unsurprisingly, these three standouts led their team at pivot for most of the game.

On the Tucson side, Sloppy Flo lead in average differential and total points, with 38 points over 13 jams for an average of 2.9 and a avrage differential of +1.92. Sami Automatic followed nicely with 37 points on 11 jams, for a higher ppj average of 3.36, but a lower average differential of +.45; Deadlock Doe had a fine night at pivot despite some trips to the penalty box, and Nokka Ho Down had some excellent jammer take outs.

Both Tucson and Texas kick off their home seasons as March starts. Tucson goes first, with a doubleheader featuring the Copper Queens vs the Iron Curtain and the VICE Squad vs. defending champs Furious Truckstop Waitresses on March 1. The next day, Texas throws their own doubleheader season opener, with 2007 champions Hell Marys battling the Hotrod Honeys, and the Hustlers going up against the Honky Tonk Heartbreakers.

Photography: Feliciafotos

All derby-keen eyes in the Southwest and across the nation will be trained on Tucson, Arizona this weekend for the traditional yearly rematch of one of the most storied rivalries in modern roller derby's short history.

Austin's Texas Rollergirls and Tucson Roller Derby have locked horns five times before (the first contest was in 2004, ancient history in the derby world) with Texas besting Tucson in all but the last of those contests. The last time that Texas beat Tucson, they were crowned as the first national champions of women's flat-track roller derby for their victory in the 2006 Dust Devil final. Tucson ended the Texecutioners' dynasty on Texas' home turf on December 2nd of 2006 – they became the first team to defeat the Texecutioners – and they did so by only 2 points in overtime.

Much has changed for the two leagues in the intervening year, however. 2007 saw no contest between the two, as Texas failed to advance to the final round of the Dust Devil tournament, where they would have faced Tucson.

Surely spurred by their 3rd-place finish and eager to defend their home turf against another interstate assault, the Texecutioners emerged in this year's WFTDA Championship "Texas Shootout" a strong, proud and aggressive team of seasoned veterans. Even the newer skaters on the Texecutioners roster had years of competitive skating under their deceptively green belts. Texas fell to Rat City in a hotly contested and brutal showdown with Rat City that was overshadowed only by Kansas City's eventual triumph in the tournament.

Tucson, however, became the only Western seed to be sent home in the first round, falling to Carolina in a tight 73 to 80 barn-burner. (A shortened Carolina roster was bruised up by Texas in the consolation game – 110 to 46.) The team that rode into the Shootout was short some of the most experienced and explosive veterans of the Tucson institution, and that appears to be even more true of the upcoming contest.

Tucson will be fielding only 6 skaters who competed in the 2007 Dust Devil, and only two (correction: six, see comments) of the veteran core who beat Texas in 2006 will return for this bout. Notably absent are Hard Anya and Fisti Cuffs, who transferred to Gotham; the painful blocking core of Jezebelle, Hoot n' Annie and Randi Canyon have all hung up their skates; and two of Tucson's most important triple-threat skaters (Tombstone Teri and Liberty Valencezula) have opted to participate in only intraleague play, though the bout will be held in Tucson.

While Texas is fielding some rookie talent (though Olivia Shootin' John and Morphine are hardly unknowns in the Texas derby establishment), the veteran core of the Texecutioners will be out in force this weekend. The roster does contain some Trouble, Dinah Mite, Slim Kickins, Lady X and Buckshot Betsy shaped holes, but the depth of experience in Austin is considerable, and the remaining skaters each skated in multiple games at the Texas Shootout this year.

Recent interleague play may be a more important barometer for relative experience within the teams, however. Tucson hosted two mid-level derby competitors (the Hobots – a Duke City Derby home team, and the Orange County Rollergirls All-Star team) in a double header against the home teams who ended last season as the back half of the TRD home lineup (Iron Curtain and the Copper Queens) and defeated the visiting teams handily. The Saddletramps, however, have not been tested since the national tournament.

Texas, meanwhile, has been on a recent binge of interleague action against the bevy of leagues within driving distance – sending mixup rosters with varying resemblance to the Texecutioners to pummel everyone within swinging distance; beating Assassination City 220 to 31, formidable Dallas 142 to 101, and a questionably sane Duke City 158 to 36.

However, Tucson is no stranger to playing rookie to Texas' old-guard, and their reputation for training skilled, smart, aggressive and athletic skaters is second-to-none. The league also certainly has some collective insight from their long bouting history with Texas that the newer skaters will have absorbed. The home court advantage will probably be more apparent in a desire to impress upon the Southwest derby establishment (who will be out in force) the validity of this reputation than in the surface or setting, as the Texecutioner's wheels are no strangers to the Bladeworld sport-court.

The Tucson jamming core will be headlined by the matching understated and consistent workhorses Sloppy Flo and Cheap Ore. Holding up the pack are the stalwart and punishing Deadlock Doe and Eli Wallop, diminutive pivot powerhouse Polly Graf and veteran pivot Whiskey Mick. Expect new 'Tramps stars to emerge from the returning veterans and fresh faces that round out the roster.

On the Texas side, the "all position" powerhouses Sparkle Plenty, Rice Rocket and Lucille Brawl will provide a consistent assault, with Bloody Mary heading up the jamming rotation and Curvette and Derringer bringing the hurt. Look for a standout rookie performance from the speedy Olivia Shootin' John and marked improvement from Texas veterans Belle Starr and Muffin Tumble.

Action starts at 7pm this Saturday, February 16, 2008 in Tucson's legendary home rink, Bladeworld (1065 W. Grant Rd. Tucson, AZ). Tickets are $9.00 in advance or $10.00 on the day of the bout. Advance tickets may be purchased via PayPal through the TRD website.

UPDATE: Texas barely manages to deny Tucson another narrow upset, pulling it out 86-81 (full recap to come.)

Bloody Mary 40 (captain) // Dagger Deb 77 (co-captain) // Curvette '76 // Belle Starr 1889 // Lucille Brawl 56 // Derringer .44 // Rice Rocket 3e8 // Sparkle Plenty 00 // Muffin Tumble 28 // Cheap Trixie 41 // Morphine 2 // Olivia Shootin John 03 // Vicious Van Gogh Gogh '53

Sloppy Flo 8 (captain) // Deadlock Doe Holliday 333 (co-captain) // Nokka Ho Down 187 // Eli Wallop 24/7 // Polly Graf 7 // Sami Automatic 22 // Sassy Sue 62 //Two-Bit Ore 49¢ // Whiskey Mick C-4 // Foxxy Lockett 0 // Tumbleweed 711 // Kamanda 242 // Turkish Slammer 111 // Carrie Gunns 9mm