Hawthorne Boys Basketball Advances To State Title Game

The Hawthorne boys basketball team secured a berth Wednesday to the Rural Class State Championship game.

The Hornets (19-3) will compete for the title at 7 p.m. Friday against Crossroad Academy (17-9) at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.

Road To Title Game

Hawthorne defeated Graceville (17-13) in a semifinal Wednesday. Hawthorne dominated throughout the game, as it led 43-18 at the half. Senior guard Chasion Wilson led the team in scoring with 16 points. Dacarion Debose recorded the most rebounds with five. The Hornets claimed a 69-44 victory against the Tigers to advance.

In its FHSAA Rural State semifinal game against No. 4 seed Graceville, top-seed Hawthorne opened a 12-point lead after one quarter and cruised to a 69-44 win against the Tigers. @ThePrepZone @HawthorneHoops @ridaught reporting for @NewsGainesville https://t.co/7hi4GBIkEg

— Mainstreet Daily News Gainesville (@NewsGainesville) February 26, 2025

State Championship Bound

Crossroad Academy advanced to the championship game after a 46-37 win against Fort White (15-10) in Wednesday’s other semifinal. Hawthorne is going after its third state title. The Hornets won in 1987 and 2020. This will be the first state championship contest appearance for the Scorpions, who were close in 2021 but lost in the semifinals.

2025 FHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament Rural Class