Last Saturday was packed full of derby as the Lowcountry Highrollers hosted their final regular-season bout, Chucktown Throwdown!
The day started off with some of Theatre 99’s comedians performing for the crowd as they found their seats and the skaters finished up their final warm-ups. The national anthem was beautifully sung by our very own Red Dread (what CAN’T that girl do?), and then it was derby time!
The first bout featured your LCHR All-Stars facing off against the Cape Fear Roller Girls All-Stars from Wilmington, NC in the first ever matchup of these two leagues. Jammer Green-Eyed Sniper got the bout started off right with an 8-point jam on a power play, but Cape Fear soon rallied to take the lead. Tropikally Punch fought through the relentless blocker walls to earn 15 points to bring the score to a 28-28 tie. The Cape Fear blockers continued to target the Highroller jammers while their quick and agile jammers picked up the points. The Highrollers trailed at half, with a score of 52-90. The your hometown derby girls came out of the locker room re-energized and fired up, ready to reevaluate their strategy and play their game in the second half. Blockers Sexual Chocolate and Lex McCusker traded hits with Cape Fear blockers Hawaiian Puncher and Meagan U Beg, while LCHR jammers fought hard for each and every point. The second half was full of big hits, but also trips to the penalty box. The Highrollers began to close the gap, but Cape Fear jammers Candi Capitate and Ann T. Gravity picked up big points on power jams and the Highrollers were not able to recover. After a hard-fought battle, the Cape Fear Roller Girls took the win, with a score of 185-122. The Lowcountry Highrollers finish their regular season with a record of 9-1.
The LCHR All-Stars had little time to recover as they dashed off to the locker rooms to change uniforms and redistribute themselves amongst their home teams for the night’s second event, the Intraleague Tournament! The trophy had been in the hands of the Swamp Foxes since their victory at the Sibling Rivalry bout, and this tournament would decide who will carry the trophy into our 2012 season.
The first of the three 20-minute mini-bouts featured the punk rockers in red, the Holy City Heartbreakers, against the royal blue and silver-clad Ashley Riverdolls. The bout started of with quick, low-scoring jams, and by consistently grabbing lead jammer status, the Riverdolls were able to control the jams and build their lead. Despite efforts from the Heartbreakers jammers, including a 7-point jam by Dame Right, the rockers were not able to overcome the point deficit before the bout clock ran out. Final score was Riverdolls 46, Heartbreakers 25.
The second matchup kept the Heartbreakers on the track, this time skating against the camo-clad Swamp Foxes. This bout was a battle of the jammers, with Heartbreakers Miss Hawaiian Trippabitch and Ringo Starrdust frequently out on the jammer line against Swamp Foxes Green-Eyed Sniper and Doutaz Mania. The Swamp Foxes began to pull ahead during the final 10 minutes of the jam and took the win, with a final score of 44-20.
With the Heartbreakers’ two losses, the winner of the trophy would be determined by the outcome of the final matchup of the night – the Riverdolls vs the Swamp Foxes. This bout was close from the beginning, with lead changes but neither team breaking away. Every point earned was crucial and hard-fought. With the Swamp Foxes up by one point and only enough time for one more jam, the Riverdolls sent Molly Mauls-A-Lot out to the jammer line against Green-Eyed Sniper. It was only fitting that this action-packed and exciting bout would end in a nail-biter, and everyone held their breath at the last whistle as the points were added to the scoreboard announcing the Riverdolls had won 36-35! With two wins, the Riverdolls claimed the trophy as their own!
We would like to thank the Cape Fear Roller Girls for playing such a tough, competitive, and fun game, as well as helping us work towards our WFTDA certification! Lots of derby love also goes out to all of our sponsors, referees, NSOs, volunteers, coaches, and of course, our fans (especially all you hardcore derby lovers who stuck it out to the end)!
You’ve got one more chance to see your Highrollers in action before the 2011 season ends. The South Carolina Roller Derby State Championships will be on Sunday, November 13th at the Citadel’s McAlister Fieldhouse. The Palmetto State Roller Girls, Greenville Derby Dames, Richland County Regulators, Columbia Quad Squad, URGE, and Lowcountry Highrollers will all be fighting it out to determine who is #1 in the state!
If you loved all the exciting derby action at Chucktown Throwdown, just wait until next season! We will soon announce our 2012 schedule which is jam-packed with all the roller derby goodness you’ve come to expect from your Lowcountry Highrollers! For all the latest news and information, become our fan on Facebook and check back right here at www.lowcountryhighrollers.com.