Notebook: Cougars Start 17-1

Cardinal Gibbons' Jamar Briscoe led his team over St. John's Catholic Prep.  (Zachary Harrison)

By: Brandon Goldner

Our Lady of Mount Carmel hopes its season ends as well as it started.

The Cougars started off 17-1, thanks to a number of impressive victories in the first two months. The best one might have been a 72-61 victory over a talented John Carroll team on the road.

After that came big wins over Gilman, Severn, Friends, Boys’ Latin, Calvert Hall and others. But the Cougars also pulled out close wins over St. Vincent Pallotti and St. Mary’s.

The team’s only loss was a tough 81-78 decision in overtime against the Hill School. Troy Franklin and Marcanthony Franks both turned in good performances in the first part of this month.

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Cardinal Gibbons had a great first half of the season with a 10-6 record.

The Crusaders started off the season with three straight wins -- topping Gilman and two nailbiters against Archbishop Spalding (55-50) and Charlotte Christian in North Carolina (66-63).

Cardinal Gibbons followed with two straight losses to Loyola Blakefield and City College in which they were outscored, 100-74. However, the Crusaders came back to win six out of their next nine games, a stretch that included a three-game winning streak.

In Cardinal Gibbons’ 67-47 win over St. John’s Catholic Prep, Jamar Briscoe scored a team-leading 21 points while Maurice Byers scored 16.

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Boys’ Latin looks to try and find some success after a slow start this year. The Lakers were just 4-9 through last week’s games.

The Lakers started off the season with a three-game losing streak that included a 79-30 loss against Bullis at home. Boys’ Latin broke through after that, getting its first win of the season in a 62-59 victory over St. Vincent Pallotti.

The Lakers also recorded wins over Gilman, Friends and Severn to bounce back from the slow start.

Posted Jan. 18, 2008