Ingram Having Early Success with Alma Mater

After accepting the head coach position at his alma mater in 2014, former Gator standout Cornelius Ingram finished his first year with the Hawthorne Hornets with a record of 5-5.

2015

Experiencing much success during his time at Florida, Ingram accepted a large role as the head coach of a team that finished the 2014 season with one win and nine losses. Ingram inherited a team full of players that had no previous experience in executing basic high school offense because of the absence of a local Pop Warner team in their youth. Without a team to help the players learn the game and get familiar with the offensive sets, Ingram said that he was forced to teach players elementary skills.

2016

This year, Ingram and the Hornets have begun their season on the right foot with a 2-0 record and are showing early signs of a successful campaign. Ingram said his biggest player is halfback Devin Lawrence, who has rushed for more than 230 yards in the Hornets’ first two games. Hawthorne puts its flawless record on the line when it takes on the Baldwin Indians at home next. In Ingram’s inaugural year, the Hornets beat the Indians 6-0 in overtime.

Ingram has continued to keep up with the Gators this season and had a chance to watch the team play against Kentucky. The former Florida tight end said he likes what he sees and the Gators are  “looking good.” Ingram also added that the guys are absorbing the things that Florida Head Football Coach Jim McElwain teaches.

@CoachMcElwain #GoGators pic.twitter.com/sxp62JhGaH

— Cornelius Ingram (@CIngram_85) April 6, 2016

Ingram is familiar with McElwain and his coaching style because he was recruiting him out of high school when McElwain was at Michigan State. Thanks to the proximity the two share in the football world, they’ve had a chance t0 slowly build a relationship.

Hawthorne’s first district game is on Friday against Baldwin with a 7:30 p.m. kick off.