- Cornelius Ingram was named 2025 Bosshardt Realty Small School Coach of the Year after leading Hawthorne to a state title and his 100th career win.
- Mark Whittemore earned 2025 Bosshardt Realty Big School Coach of the Year as Buchholz won district and regional titles and reached fifth straight state semifinal.
- Other small school coaches like R.J. Fuhr, Cliff Harrell, and Bryant Frye earned honorable mentions for achievements with Oak Hall, Chiefland, and Trenton teams.
- Other big school coaches like Earnest Graham, Harold "Gator" Hoskins and Jamie Rodgers earned honorable mentions for achievements with Santa Fe, Eastside, and Bradford teams.
Editor’s Note
This is the second of five stories unveiling the 2025 Bosshardt Realty All Area Football Teams. Click here to read about the Small School Offense, Small School Defense, Big School Offense and Big School Defense.
There is something familiar about the two best high school football teams in Alachua County.
Hawthorne and Buchholz, who have put the county on the pigskin map in the last five years, might have the two best coaches.
Following Hawthorne’s third state title in four years and Buchholz’s fifth straight state semifinal, Hawthorne’s Cornelius Ingram and Buchholz’s Mark Whittemore have been named the 2025 Bosshardt Realty All Area football small school and big school coaches of the year, respectively.
“I’m extremely proud of my guys,” Ingram said following the 24-8 win against Blountstown in the FHSAA Rural state championship game on Dec. 5. “Great year, we challenged them all year, throughout the season like we’ve been able to do in the past, schedule a tough schedule, playing on the road against tougher opponents. I think it prepared us for the playoffs, so definitely proud of my guys.”
Ingram was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Rural Coach of the Year after leading Hawthorne (11-1) to another state title and the program’s sixth straight state championship game appearance.
It was a memorable season for Ingram, who recently stepped down as head coach after 11 seasons.
Ingram, who reached a milestone in 2024 with his 10th season on the sidelines, got his 100th career victory with the Hornets in the 2025 regular-season finale at Melbourne Central Catholic.
Hawthorne had some big shoes to fill from the 2024 state runner-up team.
The Hornets won their first three games of the season before losing at Class 6A playoff participant Oakleaf (Orange Park), 35-25, before reeling off eight straight wins.
That includes a 4-0 record in the postseason with wins against Branford, Williston, Chiefland (state semifinals) and Blountstown.
“I’ve been telling people all year, if there was a year to get us, I felt like it was this year because we were kind of rebuilding,” Ingram said following the win against No. 1 Blountstown.
There were a few other coaches who were honorable mention selections.
R.J. Fuhr led Oak Hall to a championship, Cliff Harrell got Chiefland to the state semifinals, and Bryant Frye led Trenton to a state playoff appearance in his first season as head coach.
Fuhr, who finished fifth in the voting for the Florida Dairy Farmers Independent Class Coach of the Year, led the Eagles to the Sunshine State Athletic Association (SSAA) Class 3A championship. The Eagles (9-4) defeated Cambridge Christian (Tampa), 27-10, at The Villages Charter School to win the title.
Harrell, who was third in the Rural voting, guided the Indians to a state semifinal appearance in his first year as head coach. Chiefland lost at Hawthorne, 36-6, to finish 11-2.
Frye, who coached the Trenton girls basketball team to the Class 1A state title in 2019, led the Tigers to a 7-3 regular season record and No. 13 seed in the FHSAA Rural-Region 2 Semifinals, where they lost at Taylor County (Perry), 28-7.
Whittemore and the Bobcats won a district and regional championship and finished one game shy of a state championship game appearance.
“I am so thankful for a wonderful administration that leads Buchholz, staff that is so egoless and willing to work their tail off for the kids,” said Whittemore, who navigated a tough schedule (rating of 12.90) and still finished 12-2. “I am thankful for a group of young men who play their hearts out for this great school and finally for a student body that is second to none.”
Whittemore, who won his 100th game with the Bobcats this past season, finished third in the voting for the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 6A Coach of the Year.
The Bobcats entered the season looking to repeat as region champs again, but with quarterback Trace Johnson transferring to a high school in California, DJ Hicks transferring to a school in Orlando, and wide receiver Keil McGriff out for the season with an injury, the odds were suddenly not in their favor.
However, behind University of Florida signee Justin Willims, who finished second in the state voting for Class 6A Player of the Year, and the emergence of the sophomore class, the Bobcats were able to get back to the Class 6A state semifinals.
Buchholz defeated Mandarin (Jacksonville), 27-20, to win the 6A-Region 1 title before losing at home, 24-17, to West Broward (Pembroke Pines) and falling one game shy of a state title game appearance.
Other honorable mention selections included Earnest Graham of Santa Fe (Alachua), Harold “Gator” Hoskins of Eastside and Jamie Rodgers of Bradford (Starke).
Graham, the Gainesville Quarterback Club’s Coach of the Year, turned the Raiders around in his first season. They went from 2-37 since 2021 to a state playoff appearance in 2025.
Hoskins and the Rams won their third district title in the past four years with a 27-21 win against South Sumter (Bushnell), who they also defeated in the opening round of the FHSAA Class 3A state playoffs.
The 3A-District 5 champion Rams, who lost at Bishop Moore (Orlando), 36-8, in the second round, finished 9-3.
Bradford finished with an 11-2 record under Rodgers and won the 2A-District 5 title. The Tornadoes advanced to the 2A-Region 2 Final, where they fell to Cocoa, 17-10.