(BALLWIN, MO) As a result of the outcomes from the twin bill featuring the Arch Rival Roller Girls (ARRG) and GateKeepers Roller Derby (GKRD) Saturday night, one league’s complexion for its future championship game became crystal clear while the other now sports a sprint for the lone remaining entry in its respective trophy tilt.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
In front of 700 at Midwest Sport Hockey, the Stunt Devils defeated the M-80s, 145-92, in the ARRG opener while the Riverfront Crimes stunned defending GKRD Turf Wars kingpin South Grand Slammers, 190-101, in the men’s nightcap.
With their respective victories, the Stunts (2-1) clinched a slot for ARRG’s local championship game, set for June 13 at Chaifetz Arena, while the Crimes (1-2) moved into a second-place tie with the Dogtown Rockets (1-2) in the GKRD standings, which sets the stage for an upcoming duel between the two squads next month to claim entry to the title mix.
The final event of each respective league’s regular season is scheduled for April 4 at the Queeny Park sport court.
ARRG: STUNT DEVILS 145 M-80s 92
The 53-point duke by the Stunts not only helped the squad earn its own championship placement, but by eliminating the M-80s from title game contention, it also handed idle, two-time defending “queen-pins” the Smashinistas (2-1) an automatic trophy trip as well.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
“I’m really excited,” said Stunt blocker Mayor Francis Slayer about her team’s lock on the Chaifetz finale. “This is my final season with ARRG, so it means a lot for me to go to champs in my last year. I’m really going to be gunning for that championship.”
Down 4-3 after three jams, the M-80s rolled out an 18-0 rally over four rotations to gain an early edge. Launched by IDA the Living Dead’s seven-point scoreboard flipper in jam four, the firecrackers stretched its lead to 21-4 with 21:30 left in the first period.
The Stunt Devils countered with 27-0 lead-changing run over the next eight minutes. Accented by Bricktator’s 14-poniter scored in jam 12, the purple-clad rollers led 31-21 with 14:30 left in the half.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The M-80s whittled away at the margin over the next three rotations and narrowed the score to 35-32 following Science Friction’s nine-pointer scored with 11:30 left.
A four-jam, 12-0 Stunts’ run, punctuated by Mighty Mighty Boston’s three-point strike, widened the score to 47-32 with 7:40 left in the frame.
The M-80s maintained pressure and tightened the game, 51-43, following Tupac Shank-Her’s four-pointer posted in the half’s penultimate jam.
A Stunts’ power jam in the period’s final rotation resulted in a 15-4 strike for Bricktator that gave the devils of the flat-track a 66-47 edge at intermission.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The momentum carried into the second half, resulting in a Stunt Devils’ 22-7 run over eight minutes. Paced by the blocking of Slayer, Grave Danger, Morgan LeFaetal, Ninja Sass ‘Em, Orange Ya Sry, Smack A’NOVA, Aceta Menacin, Danisaurus Rex, Aggie Wartooth and Soundproof, the Stunts pushed the lead to 88-54 at the 22:00 mark.
Undaunted, the M-80s responded with a 28-0 rally over the next five jams. By capitalizing on penalties, the solid walls built by blockers Party Foul, Rhino-Might, Jamheiser Bush, The Ginger Assassin, Arcane Sugar, Warpath O. Jen, eZe, Betty Blaster, Sp!ce Rack, Carmina Piranha and Double J helped the M-80s slice the lead to 88-82 with 16:45 left in the game.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
After Bricktator scored two points for the Stunts with 15:00 left, the M-80s posted six points straight. Four from Friction in jam 16 was followed by two from Shank-Her, making the game a two-point affair in favor of the Stunts, 90-88 with 13:10 remaining.
The Stunts, craving a Chaifetz trophy bid, went into lock-down mode and dominated the final ten minutes, holding the M-80s’ offense to four points scored down the stretch.
In the process, Boston collected a 15-point power jam with 6:10 left to extend the Stunts’ lead to 114-90 and Bricktator’s 21-point strike three jams later sealed the win.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
“In the last jam, I looked at my teammates and said, ‘I think we’re actually going to win this game,’” said Slayer. “I didn’t think it was going to happen until the very end.”
The Stunts outscored the M-80s in the second period, 79-45, en route to the 145-92 victory that secured a June championship appearance. Bricktator paced the scoring with 72 points, followed by Boston’s 50.
The M-80s, who finished the season 1-3, was led by IDA’s 39 points, followed by Friction’s 27.
“Well, the losing part was really crappy,” chuckled M-80s co-captain Jamheiser Bush. “But when you look at this year’s M-80s to last year’s, you can definitely see a change in the culture of the team. We played our less experienced players a lot and everyone left positively.”
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
STUNTS DEVILS (145): Bricktator 72, Mighty Mighty Boston 50, Aceta Menacin 23.
M-80s (92): IDA the Living Dead 39, Science Friction 27, Tupac Shank-Her 26.
GKRD: RIVERFRONT CRIMES 190 SOUTH GRAND SLAMMERS 101
There are two glowing after effects from the Crimes’ eye-opening 89-point victory over the defending champions. Number one, the mafia’s win snapped the Slammers’ winning streak of eight straight.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
More importantly, the team that headed into Saturday’s match-up winless might potentially claim a trophy if they can complete a three-game winning streak. The Crimes meet the Dogtown Rockets on April 4 at Midwest Sport Hockey and if successful, advances to the June GKRD trophy game to meet the Slammers.
From a 0-2 start to a Turf Wars title in June? For the flat-track family, it’s a narrative they’re in the process of writing.
“The Crimes had a confidence and a swagger for the first time since our inception,” said jammer Screecharound. “We also had a solid jammer rotation, so we didn’t have to look at our blockers and say, ‘Hey, you’re going to have to jam next,’ so the blockers got to focus on blocking. It gave us that confidence that we needed.”
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The Crimes went for the jugular early, posting 19 points out of the gates. After Debaucherous Prime’s 10-pointer on the opening rotation, Screecharound collected nine to extend the lead to 19-0 three minutes in.
The Slammers’ Gnat King Kill tallied a 15-4 power jam to slice the lead to 23-15 with 24:30 left in the period but Prime and Screech notched fifteen and seven points, respectively, over the next two rotations to widen the Crimes’ margin, 45-15, with 20:30 left in the period.
The differential held steady as the period progressed. With 8:30 left in the first period, the Crimes maintained a 73-35 lead.
The Slammers found its legs with a 32-0 run over three late-period jams with foundations built by blockers Double Excel, Neil Death Experience, Inquadable Hulk, Sweet Tooth, Dago Whomp, Red Ryder and Fruit Wallup.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
In the process, jammer D Mouthful notched a nine-point power jam with 6:50 left in the frame to narrow the differential to 73-44, Kill tallied 19 on the next rotation to jettison the rally and Spin Diesel posted four with 3:30 remaining to make the score 73-67.
The Crimes pushed the score to 82-69 to complete the first period, but a “carnation-sniffer” for the mafia launched the second frame. A 41-4 strike ensued and vaulted the underdogs to a comfortable lead.
Paced by the blocking of Percy Controll, Nate Bower, Walker Hamilton, B.A. Blockenstein, Skulls McCrackin, Bled Zepplin and The Saint, the Crimes sported a 123-73 lead with 20:30 left. Screecharounds’s 20-point power jam and a 10-point even-strength tally highlighted the rally.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The Crimes put the concrete shoes on the defending champs following Prime’s 16-pointer with 2:30 left that extended the margin to 178-97.
The Crimes outscored the Slammers in the second period, 108-69, to pick up the 190-101 win and net the squad its first victory of the season. Prime scored 80 to top the Crimes’ ledger, followed by Screecharound’s 72.
Plenty of intrigue already surrounds the Crimes/Rockets April 4 duel at Midwest Sport Hockey. Although the Rockets defeated the Slammers in December, 180-148, the complexions of both teams have changed and, as a direct result, have improved.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
Long story short, the winner plays on the Chaifetz floor in June, while the loser sits in the stands.
With Saturday’s loss, the Slammers finish the regular season 3-1, yet a return trip to the league’s Turf Wars championship was already set in stone. They have an opportunity to hoist its second trophy three months from now, which may seem like forever at the moment, but should quickly approach once their opponent is determined
“Everybody is looking forward to that game,” said the Slammers’ HandRail afterwards. “It’s going to be a big deal for everybody. Everyone is getting their head in the right place, even after this (loss.) We’re moving on to the next thing.”
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
RIVERFRONT CRIMES (190): Debaucherous Prime 80, Screecharound 73, Indecent Exposure 27.
SOUTH GRAND SLAMMERS (101): Gnat King Kill 53, Spin Diesel 26, D Mouthful 22.
For more information on the Arch Rival Roller Girls, go to archrivalrollergirls.com.
For more information on GateKeepers Roller Derby, go to stlgatekeepers.com.
By trade, he is a six-time, regional Emmy Award-winning news videographer/editor for KTVI/KPLR-TV. By hobby, he is a writer for Arch City Media, dating back to February 2014. Emphasis is on featuring and promoting local women's sports, but will cover anything that is not reported by traditional media outlets. Also a contributor to local concert reviews.
