Hawthorne Boys Down Crossroad Academy To Win Third State Basketball Title

The good times are still rolling at Hawthorne High School.

When the final buzzer sounded inside RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Friday night, the Hawthorne boy’s basketball team was crowned FHSAA state champions for the third time in program history.

YOUR 2025 CLASS 1R STATE CHAMPIONS pic.twitter.com/iwXQFxXTLI

— Hawthorne Hornets (@HawthorneHoops) March 1, 2025

Final Four Feasting

The Hornets (20-3) dominated in their two games in Lakeland. On Wednesday, they suffocated Graceville in a 69-44 victory to secure their spot in the Rural Class title game. Hawthorne got on top of the Tigers early, never trailing throughout the contest.

Friday’s victory came just as easily. The Hornets dismantled Crossroad Academy (Quincy), 59-38. Senior guard/wing Chasion Wilson led Hawthorne, as he did so often this season, with 16 points. The title is the second for the team since 2020 and the seventh across all Hawthorne sports since 2019.

The Hornets’ 19 players and staff members will forever remember Friday’s golden moment, but the season as a whole was defined by adversity and an ability to adapt.

Offseason Shake-ups

In November, Hawthorne dual-sport standout CJ Ingram announced that he would transfer to Montverde Academy for his senior year. The four-star Florida commit and son of Hawthorne football and girls basketball coach Cornelius Ingram was a force to be reckoned with in his four seasons as a Hornet, beginning his varsity career in 8th grade. He averaged more than 20 points per game in 2023 and 2024, claiming Class 1A Player of the Year honors in both seasons.

It’s a tall task to replace that kind of firepower, but Hawthorne found its answer in Wilson.

After three solid seasons at Lake Worth, Wilson took his game to another level once he donned the orange and black. He paced the Hornets in points (13.9), rebounds (7.1) and blocks (1.3) per game this season and showed up big when it mattered most.

https://twitter.com/ChasionW/status/1896269431950729508

Flipping Script On Williston

While the wins against Graceville and Crossroad Academy were what put this team in the Hawthorne history books, the regional finals victory against Williston was perhaps its most significant win. The Red Devils won the last two FHSAA titles in Class 1A and had already downed Hawthorne twice this season.

In their third matchup of the season, the Hornets welcomed Williston into their nest and came away with a nail-biting 45-43 win. Instrumental in that victory, of course, was Wilson, who tied the game at 43 with a late putback and-one. After slaying its personal Goliath, Hawthorne was able to cruise the rest of the way to glory.

Looking Ahead

This summer and fall will prove to be another consequential offseason for the Hornets. A senior-heavy team this season, more than 90% of Hawthorne’s scoring production will be graduating this year. That being said, coach Greg Bowie and Co. have proven before that they can rebound quickly from an exodus of talent.