Hawthorne Tries for Third Straight Championship

Cornelius Ingram is a former Gators football  tight end and walked on to the basketball team for a season. Ingram went on the be drafted in the 2009 NFL Draft in round five as the 153 pick. Now, after leaving his NFL career in 2012 due to several knee injuries he went back to coach his high school football team: the Hawthorne Hornets.

Ingram has been with the Hornets since the 2014 season and has officially been the head coach for eight seasons. Now, he leads them to their third straight championship.

Embracing Adversity

The Hornets faced many injuries this season and even had to exclude a game due to the treacherous hurricane season Florida faced his fall. However, that’s what makes the perseverance and grit the team has all more special.

Ingram went on the replace the defensive coordinator during the season which created some adversity with the players having to adjust to new playing schemes.

Competition

Ingram has a heavy background in the football world along with several connections that are available to help his players become better. However, his background has also impacted their schedule as some teams do not want to compete against Ingram and his Hornets. While some teams held back from competing against Hawthorne, the Hornets competed against Oakley high school, a high-caliber team that they ended up beating in the final moments of the matchup.

Hawthorne will matchup against Madison County in the rural state championship Friday. The Hornets will have to play their best game against a team that has prominent players in every position on the field.

Hawthorne and Madison County face off  at 7:00 p.m. Friday.