Hornets’ defense stings Miami Northwestern

Hawthorne has made six consecutive state championship game appearances and won three state titles over the past seven seasons.

But the Hornets may not have had a bigger victory than Thursday night.

After a two-hour, 15-minute weather delay pushed kickoff to 9:15 p.m., Class 1A Hawthorne used four turnovers to defeat Class 4A Miami Northwestern, 16-12, at home.

Hawthorne coach Cornelius Ingram called it the biggest win in program history. The Hornets defeated a seven-time state champion that has produced numerous players who went on to play at the Division I and NFL levels.

“We’ve won three state titles, but the brand of football that Miami Northwestern has played over the years and the players that have come out of there that have played not only on the D-1 level but in the NFL, it’s just a big deal for us,” Ingram said.

Hawthorne (4-0) overcame an ankle injury to junior starting quarterback Richard Roundtree on its opening drive and relied heavily on its defense to shut down the Bulls (3-1) for most of the night.

Heavy rain and constant lightning forced the lengthy delay.

“I can’t do anything about Mother Nature, or there would have been more people out here,” Ingram said. “They (Northwestern) are a heckuva good team who will make a run in 4A, but this is one of our biggest wins.”

Roundtree was injured when he was sacked on fourth down at the Northwestern 30-yard line. He limped off the field and initially couldn’t put weight on his left leg but returned early in the fourth quarter.

With Roundtree sidelined, the Hornets relied more heavily on their Wildcat offense as they struggled to throw the ball.

Hawthorne got on the board in the final minute of the first quarter when junior running back Dakari Wiggins scored from 1 yard out. Wiggins then ran in the 2-point conversion to give the Hornets an 8-0 lead.

Northwestern answered on the opening drive of the second half when junior quarterback Dontavius Kinchens connected with freshman wide receiver Donte Anderson on a 42-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field. The Bulls failed to convert the 2-point attempt, cutting Hawthorne’s lead to 8-6.

The Bulls then turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions, with Kinchens throwing three interceptions. Hawthorne senior linebacker Ari Bentley intercepted two of them, including one at the goal line as Northwestern threatened to take the lead.

With four minutes remaining, Wiggins took the snap and raced 46 yards for his second touchdown of the game. He also ran for the 2-point conversion, giving Hawthorne a 16-6 advantage.

Northwestern scored with 1:11 remaining to pull within four points, but Hawthorne ran out the clock to secure the victory.

“He (Dakari) was huge with those two touchdowns,” Ingram said. “He doesn’t say a whole lot in the locker room, kind of leads by example. He helps us in the passing game and is one of the best athletes on the team. He’s an awesome kid and it was supposed to happen to him.”

It was the 44th straight win at home for Hawthorne, which will travel to Class 3A Bayshore (Bradenton) next Friday night.