Hawthorne Hornets football team prepares for playoff run

BY CLIFF TUMETEL

HAWTHORNE, Fla. – Last season the Hawthorne Hornets football team claimed their first state championship, but that’s in the past and a new playoff season starts now for the Hornets.

Wearing the crown is a heavy burden, and the defending Class 1R state champs know that every team is going to come at them, wanting to bring them down. Head Coach Cornelius Ingram says the state championship they won was last year’s accomplishment, and he tells his guys to be hungry and humble every game. 

“We know the most important thing is taking it one game at a time; we’re definitely not overlooking anyone,” said Ingram. The Hornets have been here before, but Ingram says the playoffs are a different animal and that every team has fought their way to get there.

The Class 1R Region 4 is filled with talented teams across the board, and after their bye week, the Hornets will be facing the Newberry Panthers, a team with an impressive 9-2 record. 

Coach Ingram has nothing but praise for Newberry; he says the Hornets are going to have their hands full, but this type of matchup brings out the fire in him and the team.

“I’m very excited, just being a coach and being a competitor. We know these guys, we know their coaching staff and they know us, and then of course the players know each other, so it’s definitely a friendly rivalry, but at the end of the day this is what you want,” said Ingram. “You talk about high school football at its best.” 

Coach Ingram says he’s proud of the way his team has improved this season and expressed how lucky he is to coach at his old high school. 

Hawthorne will host Newberry this Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the regional semifinals.