HAMILTON, Ill. — It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish.

Nobody is a better example of that than the West Hancock Titans. The Titans were 1-3 on the season when they took on Illini West at the end of September and the playoffs did not seem likely.

West Hancock kick started a three-game winning streak with a win over Illini West and extended it to four games with a 48-12 thumping over Bureau Valley on Friday night to take care of business on senior night.

“It feels great to be back,” said Titans head coach Coy Dorothy. “These boys believed in themselves since there freshman year. They just kept fighting and that’s what I love about this group. They love each other and they’ll always fight for each other.”

Titans Quarterback Brayden Carter shared his thoughts on how he felt knowing that this would be his last chance as a senior to get a taste of playoff football.

“It feels great,” Carter said. “In my past three years we went 1-8, but felt we always had the potential. I think we’re here because we believed when others didn’t.”

The Titans were on the defensive side of the ball to start. After Bureau Valley picked up a couple of first downs, the Titans were able to get a stop inside their own 20-yard line. When the Titans offense took the field, they didn’t stop in the entire game.

The first quarter would be scoreless as the Titans didn’t get the ball until late in the first quarter. West Hancock got on the board when Jess Scott ran for a two-yard touchdown giving the Titans a 6-0 lead early in the second.

The best players on the field for the Titans were Carter at quarterback and wide receiver Hunter Froman. With 8:34 left in the second quarter, Carter completed a pass to Froman. He would break a tackle, reverse field, and find the end zone with the help of a few good blocks to give the Titans a 14-0 lead after a successful two-point conversion.

That was just the beginning for Carter and Froman. On the next possession they would connect one more time for a 30-yard score with 3:04 left in the second.

“I think it goes back to our JV years,” Carter said of his connection with Froman. “If you get the ball in his hands, he’s going to make a play for you.”

Carter would finish with three first half touchdowns and Froman would have two first half touchdowns.

“The chemistry that they have is great,” Dorothy said. “They put in the extra time and I think it’s the type of relationship they have off the field. It builds team morale and chemistry as well.”

The Titans offense scored a touchdown on all four possessions in the first half to go into halftime with a commanding 26-0 lead.

In the second half the Titans went to another one of their key offensive players to keep the momentum going. Just 43 seconds into the third quarter, Chandler Dadant ran down the right field sideline for an 83-yard touchdown to put the Titans up 34-0 after a successful two-point conversion.

Bureau Valley would score one touchdown to try and make it a close game, but the Titans defense was on point all game long.

Dadant found the end zone for the second time in the contest. Carter would throw his fourth touchdown on the night, finding Jordan Crowley in the middle of the field for a 35-yard score.

West Hancock will now wait for their postseason opponent in a few weeks will have their season finale against Walter Christian Academy.

Dorothy’s message to his team is very simple. He wants to make sure they don’t overlook Walter Christian Academy.

The Titans will look for their sixth win of the season when they play the Broncos next week.

“Each week we go in with the mindset of 1-0,” Dorothy said. “Once Monday rolls around our goal is to beat Walter Christian.”