Meet the All-Gainesville Area Small School Boys Basketball Team, Player of the Year

For most elite high school basketball players, the fall represents a time for renewal.

Many wait patiently for a new season after a summer of intense training.

CJ Ingram operates differently.

The junior spent his 2023 fall throwing for over 2,600 yards, 38 TDs and leading Hawthorne to back-to-back state championships.

Just eight days after that title game in Tallahassee, the son of Hornets royalty took to the hardwood.

His exploits in basketball?

Just as impressive.

Ingram led Class 1A in points, steals and free throws and ranked in the top 10 in blocks, field goals and rebounds.

Those accomplishments? Yeah, it’ll get you noticed.

Ingram is the 2023-24 Gainesville Sun All-Area Small School Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

The son of Hawthorne football and girls basketball coach Cornelius Ingram, CJ takes home this prize for the fourth time in his career. He was POY in boys’ basketball the last two years and football last season.

Ingram has yet to say what sport he’ll focus on in college, or whether he’ll be like his father and focus on both. The junior’s gotten offers for both, including a football offer from Florida.

For now, one thought will be on Ingram’s mind entering next season:

Repeating.

Below is the full All-Gainesville Area Small School Boys Basketball team. The first and second team, with five players each, comes from seven schools across Classes 2A and 1A. In case you missed it, the big school team, Classes 3A-6A, was released last week.

Congrats to all the players!

First Team

Guard: Henry Mathias, Newberry, Sophomore – 70 3FGs (71st in Florida, 2nd in 1A), 104 FGs (36th in 1A), 45 FTs (37th in 1A), 14.0 PPG (24th in 1A)

Guard: Aramys Rodriguez, Williston, Senior – 6.5 APG (17^th in Florida, 1^st in 1A), 96 FGs (39^th in 1A), 39 FTs (45^th in 1A), 10.4 PPG (50^th in 1A), 4.8 RPG (65^th in 1A)

Guard/Forward: CJ Ingram, Hawthorne, Junior – 24.0 PPG (24^th in Florida, 1^st in 1A), 3.7 SPG (36^th in Florida, 1^st in 1A), 121 FTs (37^th in Florida, 1^st in 1A), 1.9 BPG (5^th in 1A), 8 double doubles (6^th in 1A), 181 FGs (91^st in Florida, 2^nd in 1A), 8.5 RPG (10^th in 1A), 22 3FGs (56^th in 1A), 3.7 APG (13^th in 1A)

Forward: Kyler Lamb, Williston, Senior – 2.0 BPG (94^th in Florida, 4^th in 1A), 171 FGs (3^rd in 1A), 8.8 RPG (8^th in 1A), 47 3FGs (9^th in 1A), 58 FTs (22^nd in 1A), 16.6 PPG (12^th in 1A)

Forward: Amarie Fleming, Lafayette, Senior – 16.9 PPG (10^th in 1A), 10.4 RPG (61^st in Florida, 2^nd in 1A), 11 double doubles (58^th in Florida, 1^st in 1A), 78 FTs (7^th in 1A), 127 FGs (19^th in 1A), 1.2 SPG

Second Team

Guard: Juwan Scippio, Newberry, Sophomore – 37 3FGs (16^th in 1A), 111 FGs (32^nd in 1A), 66 FTs (15^th in 1A), 14.1 PPG (23^rd in 1A), 2.2 RPG

Guard: Tafari Moe, Fort White, Junior – 16.3 PPG (13^th in 1A), 5.6 RPG (47^th in 1A), 27 3FGs (38^th in 1A), 138 FGs (11^th in 1A), 73 FTs (9^th in 1A)

Guard/Forward: Andrew Powell, Oak Hall, Senior – 16.2 PPG (48^th in 2A), 7.6 RPG (45^th in 2A), 69 3FGs (75^th in Florida, 12^th in 2A), 1.6 BPG (23^rd in 2A), 113 FGs (71^st in 2A)

Forward: Brandon DeMartino, Fort White, Senior – 1.7 BPG (10^th in 1A), 51 3FGs (7^th in 1A), 1.6 APG, 12.6 PPG (35^th in 1A), 7.4 RPG (19^th in 1A), 98 FGs, 42 FTs

Forward: Reggie Adams, Chiefland, Junior – 14.2 PPG (22^nd in 1A), 10.9 RPG (47^th in Florida, 1^st in 1A), 1.9 APG, 0.6 APG, 140 FGs (10^th in 1A)

Coach of the Year: Jim Ervin, Williston

Pressure was high in Williston this season after the Red Devils won their first state title last season and returned much of their nucleus.

Some wondered how the team might handle that, especially given the arduous schedule Ervin gave them.

Williston quieted all doubters and finished with a 29-2 final record, going wire-to-wire as Class 1A's best and beating Hilliard in early March to win its second straight state title.

This makes Ervin an easy choice for All-Area Coach of the Year.

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's CJ Ingram is the Small School Boys Basketball of the Year