The dream season for the Hawthorne football team came to an end with a 27-14 loss to Baker in the Class 1A state championship game on Thursday night at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.
Hawthorne, which was playing in its first-ever football state championship game, took an early 8-0 lead, but Baker scored 27 unanswered points to go wire-to-wire in 2020.
Junior quarterback Chaz Mackey threw two touchdown passes, but he also threw two interceptions, including one at the goal line late in the first half.
The Hornets (10-3) turned the ball over three times. That led to 20 points for Baker (14-0).
Mackey, who threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Terrell James on the Hornets’ first possession, finished the game 20-of-29 for a career-high 219 yards.
Baker sophomore running back Kayleb Wagner made two big runs to help give the Gators the momentum they would need.
He had a 63-yard run down to the Hawthorne one-yard line late in the first half. That led to a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brody Sharpe to tight end Ethan Edge with 13 seconds to play in the half for a 13-8 lead at the break.
His second touchdown came on an 8-yard scoring run on 4th-and-3 for a 27-8 lead with 5:33 to play to put the game on ice.
Wagner finished with 152 yards on only 12 carries.
Senior Joe Brunson, who was leading the state with 2,460 yards, was held to just 49 yards on 20 carries. It was only the second time all season that Brunson had been held to under 100 yards.
James led Hawthorne in receiving yards, finishing the game with four catches for 88 yards. Juniors Anthony Morgan (5 catches for 53 yards) and Camren Cohens (8 catches, 53 yards, 1 TD) also had a big day.
The state runner-up Hornets will have several key returnees for next season.
