Scene Report: CRRG Helldorados vs. Mid Iowa Rollers: Attrition and Heroics Part Two

I wandered around a bit at halftime with my son, who was in attendance along with others in my family. While we were wandering around I couldn't help but notice that this bout had sort of taken on the air of a derby family reunion. Off the second turn of the oval in the suicide seats were members of the Dubuque-centered Eastern Iowa Outlaws, set to take the oval in the fall. Near them were a quite a few members of the Old Capital City Roller Girls, no doubt on a scouting mission concerning MIR, whom they have an appointment with this coming Saturday night. In another part of the US Cellular were a couple members of Clinton's Muddy River Nightmare. Near the first turn of the oval were some of the new Cedar Valley Push-Up Brawlers out of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, and some Des Moines Derby Dames were members were on hand.

It is really astounding to see how much Iowa Roller Derby is growing. With Mahaska getting more bout experience, Eastern Iowa guaranteed to get going in the fall and Cedar Valley getting underway with practices, we can only wonder what the next chapter will hold for derby in the Hawkeye State. How good will the Outlaws be? Is there someone practicing in the Shell Rock Elementary School gymnasium with the Push-Up Brawlers who will challenge Stella Italiana and Gladi8her as one of the fastest skaters in the state? Is there a Mahaska blocker who will prove to hit harder than Bat R Up and Krash Sanders? Where will the next team come from? Mason City? Keokuk? Ottumwa? Decorah? Fort Dodge?

With MIR back in contention for the win, the second half of the bout marked a continuation of the first half attrition but with the added distinction of immediacy. CR jammers, like Sin D. Whop Her continued her fine performance in the second, but MIR's power trio were never far behind, keeping the Helldorados within their reach. Each club was desperate to put the other in the rear view mirror but neither were able to do so. The best example of this occurred with 12:25 to go in the bout when the agile Rockabelle from the Helldorados posted a very impressive 12 point jam. Yet the effects of this potentially huge development were severely diluted with the 8 point jam posted by MIR's Mizz Lolli Pop Ya.

With 9:02 remaining in the bout Fanny Firestarter posted a five point jam, hoisting the Rollers to a razor thin 108-107 lead. Mizz Lolli Pop Ya tacked on five points in the next jam for a 113-107 lead.

And then a plot twist. Just when it seemed MIR would put so more ground between them and the Helldorados, a Roller jammer (cTAL faTAL as I recall- if I am wrong, please send a correction) was sent to the penalty box. Helldorado jammer GI Jean took full advantage of the partial power jam and brought home four points which cut the MIR lead from 113-111. The Helldorado jammers proved to be a worthy contender among the other jamming staffs in the state. Some of them, Rockabelle especially, bask in the limelight privileges that lead jammer status affords, raising their arms upward to work the crowd. But all of them, including GI Jane, have a modus operandi of efficiency and substance. On the power jam, GI Jane was all business, concentrating on maneuvering and negotiating the pack with maximum efficiency. Nose to the grindstone. Not flashy, but never boring. Flashiness will get you cheers and attention. Substance will get you points. Enough points get wins. Winners get louder cheers. GI Jane, Ali Assassinateher, Amelia No Heart and Rockabelle are winners in every sense of the word.

NOTE: According to my friend Chuck U., I left out a pivotal part of the match with nine minutes left when Wonton Hammer held a Helldorado jammer to four points despite being the only MIR blocker on the floor. A thousand apologies.

So now what? Something had to give, but no one was giving. Not the defenses, each of which continued to bear down and deliver blows onto each other. Not the power trio of MIR, nor the hard hat Helldorado jammers. What was going to happen?

The score tied at 121 with four minutes to go. The next jam gave the Helldorados a 126-125 advantage.

It came down to the final jam. The Helldorados send Sin D.Whop Her, while MIR sent their resident fullback jammer Mizz Lolli Pop Ya. The noise in the US Cellular Center rose to a fever pitch. My heart began to beat a tad faster. Intensity. Electricity. Who is going to win this?

Sin D. Whop Her seemed to stumble a little in the first turn which gave Mizz Lolli Pop Ya the lead heading into the pack. Helldorado defenders formed a brilliant wall that kept Lolli at bay for almost an entire lap. At the same time MIR bottled up Sin D. Whop Her. Heading into the second time around the second turn, the Helldorado wall disintegrated just enough so that an MIR blocke  had just enough time to give Lolli a right hand whip that accelerated out of the pack and into lead jammer status.

As MIR defense continued to hold Sin D. Whop Her at bay, Lolli sprinted around the track, albeit with composure. She rejoined the pack entering the first turn of the oval passed four Helldorados was knocked down and out of bounds, forcefully called off the jam and then basked in the glory. She was the heroine of the evening, having done exactly what her team needed her to do at the moment it was called for. And she did it all with grit, determination, and head-smarts.

These are the things that make legends.

Also of legendary caliber were the MIR blockers, who completely neutralized Sin D. Whop Her from even breaking out of the pack on her first time through.

Left 4 Deadwards, Jammer/Blocker for Old Capital City recorded this video of the last jam and posted it on her Facebook account.

I suppose you could say it was lucky for MIR that Sin D. Whop Her stumbled into the first turn. But that would not explain the excellent MIR defense containing the Helldorado jammer, who was having a very excellent evening, for the entire length of a jam. You could say MIR is the most dominant team in Iowa, and a 6-0 record on the year may prove that you are correct. But as we have seen with the Sioux City bout and the Helldorados bout combined with the rising Old Capital City juggernaut, the gap in class between them and the other elite teams of the Hawkeye State are razor thin.

Perhaps we can just say that great teams find ways to beat other great teams. The Helldorados are a great team with an excellent cast of quality jammers and blockers who gave the Mid Iowa Rollers the closest run for their money on the year.

Yet as I close this writing MIR is still undefeated. And they did it as a team. Jammers feeding off blockers and vice versa. And if they can hold on to knock off Old Capitol City (5-1) this coming Saturday and the Helldorados rematch after that, then they will be the greatest Derby team in Iowa Derby History, however brief a history that maybe.

But that is a question that remains to be answered. Very soon, all will be revealed.