Culture change: Titans enter 2026 with higher expectations

Published 9:33 pm Wednesday, July 29, 2026

HAMILTON, Ill. — West Hancock’s journey out of football purgatory took a major step forward last season.

The Titans reached six wins and qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2018, ending a streak of four straight 1-8 finishes.

“For the program, I thought that was the most important thing,” said Titans senior Chandler Dadant. “We needed to take that next step to the next level and just carry on for the future.”

West Hancock now has a new level of respect, and a group of players aiming to make sure last year was no fluke and are hungry after a lopsided loss to eventual Class 2A champion Wilmington in the first round.

“Going from not being so great and then going to the playoffs is definitely a big motivator for those young guys,” said Titans senior Hunter Froman.

The culture was established when Coy Dorothy took over as head coach prior to the 2023 season with the goal in mind to turn around the Titans program.

“There’s a lot more excitement from the kids,” said Dorothy. “I think that really stemmed from the seniors a few years ago, like Bryce Varner and Nolan Gooding. They didn’t get to see the playoffs, but they are the ones that really created the culture, the chemistry and the standard that we are at.”

West Hancock has had some turnover since last year, graduating nine starters.

“That’s just part of rebuilding,” said Dorothy. “A class has to start to raise the standard, and obviously we did last year. Kudos to the previous classes, and then the (younger ones) keep raising it up. I think this senior class has seen the process from their freshmen and sophomore years, and know the payoff. That’s going to play a big factor in the energy and leadership that they bring.”

Last year’s turnaround started with a simple belief that the Titans were good enough to make a playoff run.

“Honestly, it was before our first game,” said Dadant. “Just looking at our team and looking at who we had coming back, it was no shock to me that we were going to get to the playoffs.”

Even with that belief, West Hancock began last season slowly with a 1-3 start.
The turning point was Week 5 when the Titans defeated Hancock County rival Illini West 18-14, holding on late with a defensive stand.

West Hancock won the next four games to close out the regular season on a five-game winning streak, qualifying for the playoffs with a 48-12 win over Bureau Valley in Week 8.

“Beating (Illini West) was a big motivator,” said Froman. “It kind of got us rolling from there.”

Froman would like to continue that momentum into the 2026 season.
“Our number one goal is to get back to the playoffs and see what we can do,” said Froman.

Just getting the playoffs will not be enough to satisfy the Titans, with the team having some bigger goals this season.

“We proved who we are last year,” said Dadant. “It wouldn’t look good on us if we didn’t get back and do something more than just make the playoffs. We want to get to the playoffs and win multiple games.”

Dadant has helped lead the team this offseason, with the Titans putting in extra work over the summer.

“The summer’s gone great,” said Dadant. “We got a lot of good work in, especially in the weight room. We got of guys pushing around a lot of weight. A lot of people just growing and getting better.”

This season, West Hancock will have up to 53 players on its roster with renewed enthusiasm for the football program.

“Our attendance has been really good,” said Dorothy. “We have a good amount of freshmen, and then we got some kids that are going to be seniors to come out. So we should be good.”

The Lincolnland Conference had some changes over the offseason, splitting into three divisions instead of two. The Titans are now in the West Division, which has no automatic playoff berth.

However, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has expanded the postseason from 32 teams to 48 teams per class qualifying and has eliminated Week Zero scrimmages. Teams no longer have to win a minimum of five games to qualify for the playoffs.

“The schedule’s a little different,” said Dorothy. “The whole playoff thing is a little different. Obviously, getting to five wins was the big thing and we know it could be less than that this year. But I really think the focus is to get our kids to step up and get our first win as fast as we can. That’s what the goal is on Aug. 21, to get our first win.”

West Hancock will open the regular season with a road game against Abingdon-Avon at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 21.

“I’m super excited,” said Dadant. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since the end of last season. I would just sit at track meets and think the only reason I would do it is for football. I’m just trying to get better every day, just waiting for my first game.”

The Titans will face South Fulton in its home opener at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28.

“I love football,” said Froman. “It’s going to be exciting with all the new guys we have and see what they can do. I’m just ready to play football.”