The West Hancock Titans earned their ticket to the Championship game by defeating Farmington, Mercer County, and Canton. The Illini West Chargers had a formidable path to the title game as well, knocking off (eventual consolation champion) Monmouth-Roseville, #2 seeded Brown County, and tournament host Macomb. The Chargers did everything they could. They excelled at ball control (just six turnovers), they took advantage of West Hancock’s turnovers (16-7 in points off turnovers), they swiped 12 steals, and they made their free throws. But the Titans were simply too much for the Chargers in this one and were not going to be denied their first title since 2018. When the dust settled, West Hancock defeated Illini West by a score of 52-43.
West Hancock entered the tournament as the #1 seed and while they only had a 6-3 record at the time, they had played some extremely stiff competition from all over the country and had shown the tournament committee that they had earned that top seed. Led by 6’9” Cooper Knowles and Hunter Froman, the Titans had proven they belonged. Illini West began the tournament as a bit of a sleeper pick. They went unseeded, but more than capable, with a 9-3 pre-tournament record and wins over Farmington, Sherrard, and Monroe City. And their three losses had come at the hands of Macomb, Abingdon-Avon, and Unity by a combined eight points.
West Hancock was led in scoring by Wade Gooding’s 15 points and eight rebounds. Cooper Knowles added 13 points (on 5-of-6 shooting) to go along with a game-high 12 rebounds and five blocks. Jordan Crowley also scored double-digits with 10 points. Hunter Froman – coming off a semifinal performance where he scored 29 points – took more of a backseat in this one, but still scored seven points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out three assists, and swiped two steals. Braden Hurt contributed three assists as well, tying Froman for the team-lead.
Illini West’s leading scorers were Wesley Robertson and Ethan Carlisle, who tied for the team-high with 12 points. Myles Wear – who led the team with 18 points in the semifinal win over Macomb – scored 11 points and had a team-high five rebounds and five assists. The Chargers had a distinct advantage in steals, leading that category over the Titans 12-2.
West Hancock (10-3) wins their third Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament title as their current co-op, also winning in 2017 and 2018. Hamilton High School earned titles in 1983 and 1986, and Warsaw High School also had two titles in 1991 and 1998. So however you care to count it, the schools have a combined seven tournament championships.
Illini West (12-4) earns 2nd Place and now has eight tournament trophies, including two consecutive after taking home 5th Place last year.
After the game, West Hancock’s Cooper Knowles and Hunter Froman and Illini West’s Wesley Robertson were honored with All-Tournament Team selections. All three players repeat as All-Tournament selections. In addition, Cooper Knowles was named the tournament MVP after averaging 19 points, 10 rebounds, and six blocks per game on 32-of-41 (78%) shooting.
Box Score
West Hancock Info
Illini West Info
Chris Derry
December 30, 2025