'Let's put a run together:' Hawthorne overcomes deficit and wins back-to-back state championship

LAKELAND – De’Mya Adams has developed a knack for this.

Friday afternoon, the junior assumed the role of on-court coach and netted a clutch three to kickstart the Hornets' comeback win over Wildwood in the 1A State semifinals.

Saturday evening, she stole the ball at midcourt and laid it in to give the Hornets their first lead with fewer than four minutes left.

Her play Friday gave Hawthorne an opportunity for a title.

Saturday, though, it lifted the Hornets into the history books.

Hawthorne won its second straight state title Saturday night with a 43-40 win over Graceville in the FHSAA Class 1A final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.

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The win makes HHS the first Gainesville-area squad to go back-to-back since Keystone Heights in 1994-95, and the first in Alachua County’s history.

“None of us ever flinched, and even during the course of us making a run, we felt great,” Ingram said. “We had so many missed opportunities, and I said ‘Hey, let’s put a run together.’”

Here’s how the Hornets made history:

Slow first half

It’s remarkable how much attitudes can change in a day, and the Hornets encountered that big-time Saturday.

Hawthorne played Friday’s game loose and let the pressure of a top seed affect Wildwood, especially in the fourth quarter.

Graceville, though, appeared in the first half Saturday much more relaxed as HHS dealt with the expectations. Ingram believed that showed itself.

“There was some pressure to play perfect,” Ingram said. “You have your entire family and friends here, but at the end of the day, you got to relax and have fun.”

Hawthorne trailed 18-9 after 16 minutes after a particularly rough second quarter, one which saw the Hornets shot 2-of-15 from the field and 1-of-8 from the free-throw line.

New halftime strategy for Ingram

Ingram will never be mistaken for a calm coach.

Whether it's football or girls basketball, the coach usually yells feverishly and paces around.

At halftime Saturday, he attempted a different message and sat the entire halftime.

“I told the girls, ‘When you wake up, let me know, and we’ll go out and win a state championship. We’ve invested too much to fall short,’” Ingram said.

That message resonated as the Hornets cut the lead to six before the fourth.

The real explosion, though, occurred in the fourth when Ingram and Co. scored 22 points and shot 6-of-13 from the floor, by far its best mark of any quarter.

Just like Friday, Adams reminded players of the margin as it narrowed.

“In this moment, I knew I had to take over,” Adams said.

Jhalea Jackson also used her size to her advantage. The big power forward scored a 13-13 double-double.

“At halftime, I knew I needed to step up my game,” Jackson said. Ingram added that he challenged Jackson at the break.

4-0

One text reverberated through Ingram’s phone postgame.

It read "4-0."

The Hawthorne football and basketball legend and former national champion Gator endured some championship heartbreak when he returned to his alma mater in the mid-2010s.

Over the last two years, though, he has not lost a championship bout. His football team beat Northview in 2022 and Madison County in 2023 to become Alachua County’s first back-to-back.

In girls basketball, he can claim the same.

“God has blessed me a lot. God has blessed me to be able to do this in my hometown,” Ingram said. “A lot of people have success, but not many have success in their hometown, coaching their kids.”

Ingram preaches often about family and how the Hawthorne community feels like one.

Now, that small town in eastern Alachua County can officially be referred to as “Title Town.”

Noah Ram covers Gainesville-area high school sports and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun. Contact him at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Hawthorne beats Graceville to win second straight FHSAA Class 1A title