Wild West Showdown Preview: Junior Edition

This weekend finds us headed into a showdown in the Wild West of Kitsap at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion's President's Hall on Sunday for Junior Derby of epic proportions.  Six teams (six!) will be battling it out on the flat track as the season gets going in a serious way.  After this weekend, every one of the five A teams competing for rankings heading into July's championship tourney will have at least one game under their belts (I5 will have two, and Galaxy Girls will have three).

11:00 am - Kitsap Derby Brats v Santa Cruz Derby Groms
The first bout of the day will feature our own Kitsap Derby Brats vs the Santa Cruz Derby Groms in an un-ranked bout.  This will be the first appearance of the Groms in the northwest, and I am very looking forward to seeing this team!  As the ranking systems and regional tournaments grow, we will likely be seeing more of our neighbors from California.  In chatting with the KDB coach, Jenocidal, I am told she has done her homework and is ready to face this unknown quantity.

I am very looking forward to seeing Whamsday, Red Rager and the rest of the Kitsap Brats skate it out!

12:45 pm - I5 All Stars vs Portland Rosebuds
After seeing the All Stars bout against SDB last weekend, and Portland's preview performance at The Big O, I have to admit, this is one game not to miss.  These two teams look to be the titans this season.  With Lex Celerator's uncanny jamming and Hunt-her Down's work in the pack combined with new coach Carmen Getsome's direction, Portland will have to bring their A game. 

And bring it they can.  Jesus Feist, Scream Cheese, Sumthang Sassy and Cheese Grater of Despair could just be the recipe to stop the speed jamming phenoms of I5, and put the points on the board for themselves.  This team plays with an awesome combination of speed and strength which could well be more than a match for I5.

Add to that the fact the the Rosebuds only lost one game before the finals last year, then lost to I-5 and SDB in the championships, and they've got a bit of heartbreak to make up for.

2:30 pm - Galaxy Girls v Reservoire Dolls
Once again having seen both of these teams quite recently, I have to say that this one is pretty tightly matched.  Spunkee Bruizer and Lilly Lightning like to joke with each other that they are twins, and that is not just a joke.  They both are very smart jammers and blockers and can bring their team into a game quite well. 

Roma Mafia could confound the SDB defense, since she has a very similar style to Lex Celerator in speed and agility with the star on her head, and Rattle Skate matches up well with SDB blockers like Rosie d Kreamher and Stella Mental.

SDB had a few injuries last week, with Voodoo lady Googoo taking the brunt of a bad pile-up.  She's a question mark going into this weekend, as are Rosie and Flyin' Hawaiian, the other two SDB skaters who spent time with the Athletic Trainers last Saturday.