Feb 3, 2007 By Bobby Fox 3 min read

CARMICHAELS-Carmichaels had a lot on the line when it welcomed archrival Jefferson-Morgan to town on Friday night. Not only were the Mikes looking to sweep the season series with the Rockets, but a win also assured the Mikes of a tie with Geibel for second place in Section 2-A

The Mighty Mikes looked like a team ready for the postseason as they led the Rockets for almost the entire 36 minutes en route to an impressive 51-36 win.

“Jefferson’s a rivalry for us, and Jim always has them prepared,” Carmichaels coach Don Williams said. “They always play us hard.”

The potent formula for the Mikes’ victory was a stout team defensive effort combined with plenty of scoring from their number-one threat, Jeremy Ganocy who did his part, pouring in a game-high 24 points and pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Carmichaels defense also did a good job, keeping J-M’s big gun J.W. Popielarcheck in check.

“I thought that we played really well on defense,” Williams said. “We knew that he was a good shooter and we told our kids that they’re going to have to extend on him and stay in front of him.”

The night started well for the Rockets who jumped out to a 4-0 lead.

However, Carmichaels responded with a 7-0 run to take an early 7-4 advantage. The Mikes slowly, but surely, continued to build a 26-20 lead at halftime.

Ganocy was a big reason for that lead as he poured in 14 points.

After the half, the Rockets were able to keep Ganocy in check, shutting him out in the third quarter. However, other members of the Carmichaels’ squad stepped in to fill the void.

Particularly potent during the period was point guard Joby Lapkowicz who racked up seven points. Billy Hyatt and Josh Greene added two points each, and the defense suffocated the Rockets, allowing just five points.

The Mikes sealed the deal with 14 fourth-quarter points to Jefferson’s 11.

Along with Ganocy, Lapkowicz recorded a double-digit scoring night with 10.

Popielarcheck’s 12 points paced Jefferson-Morgan, and Ben Humble was next in line with six.

The Mikes’ win, combined with a dominant victory for Geibel over West Greene, sets up a showdown for second place at Geibel on Tuesday.

Prior to their win, the Gators were mired in a five-game losing streak, which included defeats at the hands of Jefferson-Morgan and Mapletown, knocking them out of contention for a section crown.

Though they have been struggling, Williams and his team know they have to prepare hard for what has become the most important game of their season.

“It’s a real big game,” Williams said. “It’s for second place right now. It’s a big game for us and hopefully the kids are looking forward to it and we can give a really good showing.”

Both the Mikes and Gators sport 5-3 section records, but Carmichaels has a more impressive 10-10 overall mark as compared to the Gators’ 8-9. Geibel beat the Mikes on Jan. 16 at Carmichaels.

Jefferson-Morgan (3-5, 5-16), meanwhile, must regroup and prepare to host the powerful California Trojans Tuesday night.