The perfect marriage: How the Hawthorne football program gained the "Burger Barn Boys" nickname

Hawthorne head coach and local legend Cornelius Ingram called it a “perfect marriage.”

When one thinks of Hawthorne, Florida, they associate two things: the Hornets football program and the Burger Barn.

The team, under Ingram, just won back-to-back Class 1R state titles last week.

Burger Barn, opened in 1989, attracts visitors from around the state who speed toward Jacksonville on Route 301 for its burgers and chicken wings.

Due to this, a connection between the two was inevitable. The rest of the state realized the extent of the relationship between the two at the 1R state title game last Thursday when all Hawthorne coaches donned hoodies with the “Burger Barn Boys” nickname.

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How it came to being?

Ingram took over the Hawthorne program in 2016 and began his revitalization project.

The fruits of his labor paid off in 2020, Hawthorne’s first of four straight state title game appearances.

During that four-year stretch, Hawthorne began scoring points in bunches, which caused locals to reference the small town restaurant.

“We had some 40- and 50-point wins, and a lot of people were saying ‘oh that’s a 50 piece from Burger Barn or a 40 piece chicken wing,'" Ingram said.

Mike Dougherty bought Burger Barn in March 1990, only seven months after it opened. His support of the football program began shortly thereafter.

“I was sponsoring them back when they were 2-8 and 3-7 in the ‘90s,” Dougherty said.

A couple of years ago, the Hornets appeared on the “Friday Night Rivals” game of the week. Pregame, trash talking between Hawthorne and its unnamed opponent commenced.

“They would never acknowledge the school Hawthorne, they would just say ‘oh we just got to play that school that’s close by Burger Barn,'" Ingram said.

Ingram added that his players eventually embraced the jab.

“The kids loved it, and the merchandise we were able to sell, even if you can just see the Hawthorne brand or the Hawthorne name,” Ingram said.

Dougherty was caught off-guard when the team wore the hoodies last week.

Personally, he said the attention embarrasses him a little bit since the Hornets hold so many other sponsors.

Ingram noted this as well, naming the city fire department, which provides water for the games. He proclaimed that some businesses in Gainesville, such as Five Star Pizza or Hungry Howie’s, rip up the check for him.

“The bill is nothing because they see what we’re doing here,” Ingram said.

Hawthorne holds many nicknames, such as “Hawthorne University,” but the affinity for the Burger Barn ranks at the top.

“I don’t think it has a whole lot to do with who the owner is, or what the food is like,” Ingram said. “I think the Hawthorne fan base loves the nickname ‘The Burger Barn Boys.'"

How the relationship affects both?

That being said, Ingram admitted his players love to eat at the establishment and he and Dougherty have become close friends, with Ingram even gifting him a state championship ring last season.

Dougherty has responded by financially supporting the booster club. He’s chipping in to fund new merchandise that’ll honor the Hornets' back-to-back titles.

At the start of last season, the owner began to cook the team 500 wings each Thursday before a game. The team hasn’t lost since, and now Dougherty thinks bad luck will come if he stops.

He owes it to the Hornets since the team has contributed to what he said is a 25 percent increase in business in the last few years.

Dougherty jokes the increase led to one negative consequence: it has delayed his retirement.

He’s worked in the restaurant business for 53 years, but he quipped that now he can’t retire given the popularity.

“I’m stuck,” Dougherty said laughing. “I got my son here, and we can barely handle it.”

For Ingram, the local support is noticed by him and his players.

“If they wear their Hawthorne shirt, they can’t go anywhere in Gainesville, and especially Hawthorne,” Ingram said. “They feel like rock stars.”

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: Burger Barn and the Hawthorne football program create the perfect marriage