With the flat track rollerderby world wondering who'll come out on top at this weekend's Eastern Regionals, time for a refresher of what went down last weekend at the the Western Regionals in Houston, where Austin's own Texas Rollergirls took top seed going into nationals in November (see the full write-up here.)
On their first day on the track (actually second day of the event) the Texecutioners' bouted against the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls from Denver and Seattle's Rat City Rollegirls. Check back for more footage from day three, including backstage life and the big top-slot bout against San Francisco's Bay Area Derby Girls.
After road losses to the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the country, the 16th-ranked St. Edward's men got back on track Sunday with a 2-0 win over Northeastern State. They're on the road again this weekend, at No. 24 Incarnate Word, then hosting a rare Monday game, 4pm Oct. 13 against UT-Permian Basin. The St. Ed's women, 2-0 in the Heartland Conference, host two conference games this weekend: TAMU-International, 4pm Friday, Oct. 10, and nationally ranked Incarnate Word, 1pm Sunday, Oct. 12.
The UT Longhorns dropped their first game of the season Friday night at Nebraska, 2-1, then beat Iowa State on Sunday, 2-1. They're on the road this weekend at Colorado and Texas Tech, before hosting OU and Oklahoma State next weekend – the next-to-last home games of the season.
The Houston Dynamo beat Panamanian champion San Francisco FC, 2-1, Tuesday night in CONCACAF Champions League action to move into a tie for the Group B lead. The Dynamo also clinched an MLS playoff spot last week; with three games to go in the regular season, they seem a safe bet for the Western Conference title, but five other playoff spots are still up for grabs, and not a single team is yet eliminated from contention.
In international action, World Cup qualifiers take the spotlight this week, with a full lineup of games around the world Saturday and Wednesday, Oct. 11 and 15. The U.S. plays Cuba on Saturday in Washington, then travels to Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday. The unbeaten and unscored-on Americans will almost surely clinch a spot in the final qualifying round on Saturday. A more interesting side bet: How many Cuban players will defect during the visit? The over-under is at 2.5.
If any Roller Derby fan claimed they weren't nervous about last weekend's Women's Flat Track Derby Association's Western Regional finals in Houston, Battle Royale '08, they were probably fibbing. Because, like so many events in the gulf region post-Hurricane Ike, there were nerves it might not happen. Yet somehow, hosts the Houston Rollergirls managed to shake off any damage and bring one of the three biggest events on the derby calendar to fruition. Twelve teams from the region (three from Texas, three from Colorado, plus Arizona, California, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington State) gathered to sort out who'll be going to the Northwest Knockdown in Portland, Or., Nov. 14-16.
And what a weekend it was, filled with firsts and lasts. It's the last time there will only be two regionals, since the sheer number of WFTDA-sanctioned teams means there will be four regions next year. Rising star Kamikaze Kim of Duke City and retiring icon Snot Rocket of Kansas City both walked away with a new WFTDA record: 25 points and five grand slams in a single bout. There was the unmissable opportunity for many players, gathered in the Verizon Theater, to sit in a balcony and get a unique bird's eye view of the track, seeing the difference that a tight pack really means.
It was also the weekend that Austin's own Texas Rollergirls' Texecutioners came back to the top of their region and set their sights on the national championship once again.
Joe, my man! Bob Stoops here. But you can call me Coach, my scribbling wordsmith. So here we are again. The big week. Tell me, is Mack Brown shaking? Has he got that little nervous smirk on? Heck, Joe, I'm sitting on top of the world here at No. 1. How do I do it? Pure Oprah, buddy. Positive visualization. The Law of Attraction. The Secret. That New Agey crap. But it works! I visualize my Sooners beating your Horns by 20. Pow! It happens. Thank you, Oprah.
Don't get me wrong. I watched the tape of UT walloping Colorado 38-14. It wasn't even close. Hey, Mack, where'd you find that pass defense? A goal-line stand. Outstanding. I like what I see from this Roy Miller kid. He's a hustling madman. Eight tackles. Recovered a fumble. I've got my eyes on him. I like what Ryan Palmer is doing, too. Heck, Mack scored one by snagging Will Muschamp to coach these lunkheads. He's crazy, and I like crazy. What's that he said? "Stats are for losers. I like winning games." You rock, Coach! Of course the biggest stat of all is the final score. The Horns are up-and-comers. Maybe next year will be their year. They need to think positively about the future. The present is all Big Red. I can see it. And we've found our defense, too.
Last night, BookPeople turned a page in Alternative Softball League history, coming back from an end-of-the-season slump to defeat Waterloo Records and advance to the ASL Championship Game. Fourth place BookPeople had their work cut out for them going up against Waterloo Records, who finished the season in first place with an intimidating 6-2 record. But, at the end of the game, it was BookPeople that came out on top, 17-15, advancing to the ASL Final against The Austin Chronicle.
After the first inning, the game was tied 3-3, but a strong offensive showing in the second and third put BookPeople up 11-3. Despite a valiant effort from the Waterloo team, closing the gap midgame to 11-7, BookPeople continued to hold onto the lead. A good run in the bottom of the eighth looked promising for Waterloo, but solid defensive play by BookPeople secured a third out with the bases loaded, preventing a potential comeback. In the bottom of the ninth, Waterloo had a chance, but ultimately fell short of the two runs they needed to force extra innings. Highlights from the game include a solo-shot home run by BookPeople's Jeff Rose, as well as an equipment-hurdling, fence-clashing foul catch from BP third baseman Bryan "the Beast" Sansone. Kudos to Waterloo's Chris Anderson, who had a three-run homer in the first to tie the game 3-3.
The Championship Game is scheduled for October 19 and the awards ceremony will be held October 21 at Emo's Lounge. Stay tuned for information about the ASL All-Star Game, which will take place after the season final. Game on!
A frantic weekend in women's flat-track derby at the annual WFTDA Western Regionals held at the Verizon Theater in Houston. Out of 12 teams in the opening brackets, four teams won seedings and now progress to the national championship in Portland, Ore., (Nov 14-16) to face the winners of next weekend's Eastern Regionals. And the big four are:
No. 1 Texecutioners: With a first-round bye, Austin's own didn't roll until Saturday morning when they defeated the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls (173-50). They then faced their nemesis from the 2008 Nationals, the Rat City Rollergirls, earning a spectacular and hard-fought victory (108-94). They topped off the weekend with a definitive win (135-59) over the new No. 2 seeds from the Bay Area.
No. 2: B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls: Slicing through Rose City (120-95), B.A.D.'s hard-hitting style sent Duke City Derby flying (117-73). But the West Coast couldn't dislodge Texas in the final.
No. 3 Rat City Rollergirls: Last year's national runners-up started hard with a pummeling win over Tucson (170-81), but couldn't make it two-for-two over Texas, instead settling for a run-off hammering of Duke City (158-95)
No. 4 Duke City Derby: The only previously unseeded team in the top four, Albuquerque passed Pike's Peak Derby Dames (138-99) on Friday. They then threw in the biggest upset of the year, demolishing 2007 national champions the Kansas City Roller Warriors (132-117). Unfortunately, the Cinderella story faltered under the tough offense of B.A.D. and Rat City.
Check back for full bout reports and exclusive video.
Fans cheer on the 'Chronicle' as they defeat Emo's in the ASL playoffs' first round
Photo by Logan Youree
Yes, that's right, the inaugural season of the Alternative Softball League, sadly, is nearing its dramatic conclusion. It's hard to believe that only a few months ago this fledgling sporting venture was just getting its wings, but here they are, done with the regular season and cleat-deep into the playoffs.
On September 22, The Austin Chronicle defeated Emo's, 32-12, and moved on to the ASL Championship Game (time and date TBA). This Sunday, October 5, Waterloo Records (who have dominated the league and finished in first place) and BookPeople (who barely slid into fourth place and the final playoff spot as a result of a KOOP Radio loss to Waterloo in the last game of the regular season) will throw down in an epic battle to see who will move on to the ASL Final.
Come on out to Krieg Field No. 11 at 7:30pm for one of only two chances left to witness the spectacle that is the Alternative Softball League. Are you ready for some softball!?
Senior receiver Jordan Shipley (pictured) has helped Coly McCoy put up some impressive numbers
Photo courtesy of Jim Sigmon
Going into this season, most alumni probably looked at the Longhorns' schedule and let out a long whistle like someone who got stuck with the check at a Brazilian steakhouse. Five games against ranked teams, three of them currently ranked in the Top 10! The only way the Horns schedule could have been any tougher was if it included a road game against the Cowboys in Dallas. So it was understandable why, after last season’s less than stellar performance, this was being called a “rebuilding” season; however, if the first four games of this season have taught us anything, it’s that with an average victory margin of 38 points, this team is ready to win now.
After last season’s disappointing finish, most of the blame was put on a suspect pass defense and the growing pains of sophomore quarterback Colt McCoy. This year, however, instead of being the scapegoats, both the defense and McCoy are the main reason the Horns are 4-0 going into Saturday’s game against Colorado. The defense, which has put last year’s failures behind them, has not allowed a 100-yard rusher and only one 100-yard receiver this year in games that were never close. The fact that only Jarett Dillard of Rice University has been able to top the 100-yard mark just goes to show the lengths that Texas has gone to turn around the defense. The improvement hasn’t just been limited to the pass defense either, as none of the teams that they have faced has scored more than 13 points against the Longhorns. Of course, the defense will be tested by a strong Colorado team that is looking to avenge a two-game losing streak in Boulder, but if UT plays anything like they did in the first four games, the Buffaloes are going to have their work cut out for them.
It's a big week for rollerderby: not only was documentary Hell on Wheels finally released on DVD, but this weekend sees one of the three biggest events of the competitive calendar Battle Royale 08, the Western regional play-offs for the Women's Flat Track Derby Assocation. This year it's in the Verizon Wireless Theater in Houston, so a very driveable distance for flat-track fans.
While the full bouts started today, Austin's own Texecutioners don't take to the track until 9.45am Saturday, when they face the winner from today's match-up from Rocky Mountain Rollergirls and Houston Rollerderby. The winner of that goes on to face either Tucson Rollerderby or Seattle's Rat City Rollergirls (considering how much controversy there was about the Rat City/Texecutioners bout at nationals last year, that could be the bout to watch.)
The UT Longhorns drew a record crowd of 5,585 at Myers Stadium Friday night for their 0-0 tie with Texas A&M in the Big 12 opener for both teams. (It was also the third largest crowd in the country this season; the top two were both at Aggie Stadium.) The Horns (still No. 7 nationally) are at Nebraska Friday evening, before hosting Iowa State at noon Sunday, Oct. 5.
St. Edward's men lost their first game of the season Sunday in Denver, 2-1 to No. 6 Fort Lewis, after earlier beating Colorado School of Mines, 2-1. The Hilltoppers are at No. 2 Midwestern State Friday, then host Northeastern State at 1pm Sunday, Oct. 5. The St. Ed's women split a pair as well, losing at TAMU-Commerce, then beating Newman, 2-1 in their conference opener.
Champions League results from both Europe and CONCACAF below: a positive result for the Houston Dynamo in Mexico; big days for England and Spain.
Play time is almost over for the Longhorns, and they just maybe are ready. That's a big maybe. Make no mistake, the real season always begins with Bob Stoops swaggering on the Cotton Bowl sidelines, spitting in the turf and grinning. He's had Mack Brown's number, and he knows it. So here we are. Texas stomps former arch-rival Arkansas 52-10 and in the process discovers a potent defense and a world-class QB. On the sidelines Darrel Royal and Frank Broyles remember when this game counted.
Texas played better against Arkansas than it did against Arkansas State in 2007 (the same Arkansas State that beat Texas A&M this year). Let that sink in. But OU is No. 1. Let that sink in. The fakers keep falling. USC? Beach bums and yesterday's heroes. Georgia Bulldogs? A bunch of pampered puppies. Florida? Drunk on Gatorade and its own hype. (Thanks, former Longhorn Jevan Snead and crazy, crazy ex-Razorback coach Houston Nutt!) OU is No. 1 and Texas is No. 5 with two weeks to go until the showdown. Tick tick.
It's official, the Austin Wranglers are no more. After five years here in town, and with attendance dive-bombing last season after a move to the af2, they have decided to call it quits. First the Ice Bats, and now the Wranglers. It's been a tough year for Austin professional sports teams. Tom Hicks (whose holdings include the Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, and Liverpool FC) is moving a minor-league affiliate of the Stars (the Texas Stars) to Cedar Park upon completion of $55 million, 6,800-seat multipurpose event center. Look for them to get started in the 2009-10 hockey season. With big money behind this enterprise and a brand-new facility, I'm certain the Texas Stars will be a part of the sports landscape in Central Texas for decades to come. So long Wranglers, it was fun while it lasted.
Click here for Richard Whittaker's short piece in this week's Screens section on Bob Ray and Werner Campbell's Roller Derby documentary Hell on Wheels getting a nifty two-disc DVD release from IndiePix. It hits the shelves Tuesday, Sept. 30 with a DVD release party to be held Thursday, Oct. 2 at the South Lamar Alamo Drafthouse. Producer Campbell and director Ray will be in attendance and I'm sure more than happy to answer any questions your inquiring mind may have for these two young filmmakers and Roller Derby lovers.
The UT women got an exciting 2-1 comeback win over California on Sunday, with Courtney Gaines assisting on two second-half goals, and Kasey Moore hitting the winner with just 40 seconds left to play. The 7-0-1 Longhorns open Big 12 play this Friday, Sept. 26, hosting No. 10 Texas A&M at 7pm at Mike A. Myers Stadium, 707 Manor Road, at Red River. $7 adult admission, but get a $3 web coupon at Bevo's Bargains.
St. Edward's Men – one of only five Division II teams in the country with a perfect record – rose to No. 18 in the national rankings with a pair of 1-0 wins last weekend. The women split a pair to drop to 3-1 for the year. Both are on the road this week.
CONCACAF Champions League play continues this week; the Houston Dynamo opened group play Tuesday with a scoreless draw at Panama City's San Francisco; the USL's Puerto Rico Islanders and Montreal Impact are both undefeated at the top of their groups. European Champions League play resumes next week, Sept. 30-Oct. 1. ESPN2's games of the week: Tuesday, Zenit St. Petersburg vs. Real Madrid; Wednesday, Shaktar Donetsk vs. Barcelona; both live at 1:30pm.
The Austin Aztex EPL affiliate Stoke City, fresh off a gutsy road draw at Liverpool, hosts Chelsea this Saturday; it'll be shown live on Fox Soccer Channel at 9am; that's just one of about 10 games FSC is broadcasting live each weekend, from England, Italy, Argentina, Australia, and the MLS. And on Tuesday, the Potters also advanced to the Carling Cup final 16, with a PK shootout win over Reading.
OK, I'm slow to comment on the Longhorns victory over Rice this past weekend. Consider it an homage to Texas, which is perennially late to its own party. But it didn't take the Horns too long this time to wake up down 3-0. Thanks, Colt McCoy. You are the heart and soul of the team. Without you, the Longhorns would be another … Rice.
Let's take that in. One stinger in the shoulder and Texas falls apart. OK, that's a bit extreme. Colt doesn't play alone (even though he acts like it). But his arm and those handy catches by his pals Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby are the only thing that gives hope as the clock ticks down to OU.
So let's praise the Colt. It's 62 touchdown passes and counting. (Sorry, Major, maybe you should have taken that Rice coaching job you say they offered you.) He was the leading rusher against Rice with 83 yards on eight carries (the runnerup was Colt's runnerup, the shifty nonpasser John Chiles.) HIS offense racked up 600 yards against Rice. He can eat tin cans and pull kittens from 40-foot trees. He is Superman.
Here's hoping no kryptonite shows up anytime soon. We've already seen Blaine Irby drop to the turf and take the tight end out of the game. Stay healthy, Colt.
Which begs the question: why doesn't UT run the ball in the early going? Fourth-string tailback Cody Johnson looked like a hoss against Rice. Fourth string? OK, I'm not that worried. Bring on the Razerbacks.
