Texas Rivalry...April 11 Home Opener
by Laura Walton
There's a Texas rivalry set to explode this weekend. Two titans in women's professional sports and you may not have heard about the legendary battles. Games that are more emotional than Mavs vs. Spurs, more intense than Rangers vs. Astros, and more volatile than Cowboys vs. Texans. It's more than bragging rights for the states best football team, when its all said and done one team could be the best in the league.
The Dallas Diamonds vs. The Houston Energy, April 11th at 7pm, kicks off the 2009 Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) season, complete with returning superstars, exciting scores and hard hitting football action.
The Diamonds are coming off another championship winning season after defeating the Chicago Force 35-29 in overtime for the 2008 title. Four championships (04, 05, 06 and 08) have all but secured their place in women's football history but they are not ready to rest on their laurels just yet.
Houston is no slouch either with 3 titles of their own (00, 01, 02). The fiery match up reignites between these two teams as the Energy move from the WPFL to the IWFL perhaps in hopes of throwing a wrench in the Diamonds plans for a 5th word title. Maybe they even have designs on adding another title of their own.
Last season Houston sat idle while the Diamonds debuted in the IWFL and ran an undefeated season. Houston's starting QB Laura Cantu, opted to bring her talents to the Diamonds in another strange twist to the storied history these two teams share. Cantu fell shy of a final victory in 07, losing to the SoCal Scorpions. She came close in 2006 when the Diamonds refused to lose in the championship in Atlanta and beat the Energy head to head. A classic case of "if you can't beat them join them"? She added world champ status to her resume in 2008 as the Diamonds backup QB. Now she returns to her revived team, perhaps with inside knowledge, but certainly a taste for the complete season. Nothing less will suffice. She is again a rival on the field and all bets are off. Imagine Donovan Mcnabb coming to Dallas to play behind Tony Romo for a season, the cowboys win the Superbowl and then returning to the Eagles the following season to resume as their starting QB. Now you get the picture. Crazy things like this just add to the legend of the rivalry. It makes you wonder how her own teammates will adjust to the championship ring on her finger that sports the name of the "enemy".
Returning Diamonds include longtime veterans Rachel May, Jennifer Welter, Monica Foster, Ingrid "Tiny" Mitchell, Julie "Brick" Parton, KB Bowman and fan favorite Jessica Springer, a powerhouse running back known for her deceptive speed and strength. The desire to bring the best game possible to the field only intensifies when you mention it's against Houston. Hate is a very strong word but there is atleast some distaste for the red and white colors worn by the Energy players, especially when you bleed Diamond purple and white. Most of these veterans have lived to tell the tale of hard fought victory against their arch rivals and are passing it down to the rookies for the future. It only serves to grown the legendary matchup into a game you don't want to miss. Anything can happen when these teams collide.
There are no expensive contracts, press conferences or lucrative endorsement deals. No new stadium to look forward to breaking in. The Diamonds do have something the big boys haven't been able to do in almost 15 years; win a championship, in fact 4 of them in 5 years. And they have a handful of hardware to prove it.
So if you are looking for an inexpensive night out for the family this is just your ticket. Prices start at $7 for kids and $10 for adults. Parking is free. The Diamonds home field is Pennington Field, 1501 Central Drive & IH-183 in Bedford Texas. Come be part of women's football history in Texas. The drive for five starts now! Will you be there?
