Richard Roundtree, Cornelius Ingram bring awards back to Hawthorne football
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Richard Roundtree yearned all season to join the elite of Hawthorne football.
A lofty goal for a sophomore? Yes. But the numbers this season backed up his claim.
Monday, sportswriters around Florida helped him move one step closer to that status.
Roundtree was voted as the Florida Dairy Farmers Rural Class Player of the Year Monday. He threw for 2,581 yards and 30 touchdowns, along with seven interceptions.
The quarterback received 29 more points than runner-up Amari Thomas. The Blountstown running back rushed for over 1,800 yards and committed to Florida State, but the Tigers fell to the Hornets 24-8 in the Rural State Championship game.
That beatdown could be attributed to the HHS defense, and its leader – head coach Cornelius Ingram. The former Florida football legend received his own award Monday – being named the Rural Coach of the Year.
Ingram, who helmed Hawthorne to its sixth straight championship game appearance and third title in four years, received 46 more votes than Brad Waggoner – head coach of Blountstown.
The Hawthorne alum played for Florida football from 2004-2008, where he won two national championships under Urban Meyer and endeared himself to Gator fans everywhere.
After his NFL career ended, Ingram returned to Eastern Alachua County in 2016 and took over a moribund Hornets program. Ten seasons later, he’s compiled a 104-22 record, including an 11-1 mark this season.
It was this culture of success that led to HHS defeating the more-talented Tigers on December 5.
“This is no surprise,” Ingram said after the win. “I’m being honest, and I’m not a cocky guy, and I mean that in the most humble way. This is not my surprise. My players give up lunch time every single day.”
It all starts with players like Roundtree.
“They give up their time. Just to be in that raggedy small gym with me going through our walk through,” Ingram said. “Practices are intense. These kids love being around each other. I have the best job in the world.”
Buchholz and Oak Hall were the only other Gainesville-area program to finish in the top five in any class. Bobcats wide receiver and Florida football commit Justin Williams finished just nine votes short of being named Class 6A Player of the Year. He received 106 points to West Boca Raton’s Javian Mallory 115 points.
Coach Mark Whittemore finished third for Coach of the Year voting behind West Boca’s Dylan Potts and West Broward’s Brian McCartney. He led the ‘Cats to their fifth straight region final, but they fell to West Broward for a fifth state semifinal loss in a row.
The Eagles were SSAA Class 3A champions. Aaron Akins came in fourth for Player of the Year voting among all in the SSAA, while coach RJ Fuhr finished in fifth.
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Hawthorne football’s Richard Roundtree, Cornelius Ingram win Rural awards
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