Hawthorne Quarterback To Miss Remainder of Season

HAWTHORNE —  Hornets starting quarterback Richard Roundtree Jr. broke his fibula during the first drive of last Thursday night’s game against visiting Miami Northwestern. Roundtree Jr. is scheduled for surgery Wednesday and is estimated to be on the sidelines for three to six months.

Roundtree Jr. led Hawthorne to the FHSAA Rural State Championship last season as a sophomore. This year, he has completed 51 of 77 passes for 679 yards, seven TDS  and a completion percentage of 0.662 in leading Hawthorne’s 4-0 start.

Class 1A Hawthorne went on to defeat Class 4A Northwestern, 16-12, but it was not without its challenges. After a two-hour, 15-minute weather delay, the contest between state powers kicked off at 9:15 p.m. 

After Roundtree Jr. went down on the Hornets’ first drive, Hawthorne put in his younger brother, eighth-grader Jusiah Roundtree. 

Roundtree did not see the whole game through, though. During his time on the field, he had two completions on six attempts for 10 yards. 

Over the course of the game, Hawthorne coach Cornelius Ingram was rotating four players at quarterback on the Wildcat offense: Ingram played Roundtree, running back Dakarai Wiggings and receivers Treston Jones and Raul Alvarez. Roundtree Jr. also played some in the fourth quarter.

“You’ll never think an eighth-grader would be your backup quarterback at a really good program like us,” Ingram said. “But we have good athletes that start in other positions, and they kind of know the offense. So it really wasn’t on purpose. We were trying to find some kind of chemistry.”

Ingram also implemented a heavy formation with more linemen, specifically for Wiggins. This strategy gives the ballcarrier pockets to run for consistent yardage. 

The Hornets have not named a starter at quarterback for Friday’s 7 p.m. game at Bradenton Bayshore (3-1). The front-runner is Jones, who has experience as a quarterback when he was younger. He also has strong mobility and is a dependable runner, Ingram said. 

But the younger Roundtree is still part of the offense. Ingram said he intends to give Roundtree a shot on the field and will have packages prepared for both players. Wiggins may also receive a snap or two from the center.

“We still can get some things done,” said Ingram, who has led Hawthorne to six consecutive state championship game appearances and three state titles over the past seven seasons.

“I know with the way our players feel about Richard going down, we’ll get better. We’ll get closer as a team. Everyone wants to elevate their game even more.”

Ingram acknowledged the loss of their leader, crediting Roundtree Jr. with the ability to command the offense. He also said Roundtree Jr.’s contribution to the team went beyond his capacity to get the ball to multiple receivers each game. 

“What a lot of people don’t see is the behind-the-scenes things,” Ingram said. “A lot of the guys stay over at his house. He stays over after practice with the skill guys. He’s trying to perfect his craft every single day.

“So, of course, it was devastating when he went down, but I could tell our team, they want to finish the year for him.”

Ingram is hoping to see Roundtree Jr. get on the bus when the Hornets travel south. 

Ingram has been assured of his team’s resilience.

“I could just see their effort has changed, even since Thursday, so I’m excited,” Ingram said. 

Category: Hawthorne High School, High School Sports