HANCEVILLE — After three torturous years on the wrong side of the rivalry, West Point easily got over the Hanceville hump Friday night, downing the Dawgs 47-6 to secure its first 5-0 start since 1994.

Kobe Smith scored four touchdowns, Bryant Farley added three, and Lance Ray and Will Wrenn snagged an interception apiece to power the Warriors to the overwhelming win. Hanceville avoided the shutout with a touchdown in the final minute but couldn’t overcome West Point’s torrid start to drop to 0-5.

Ray admitted to being motivated by a few lost votes in the state rankings following the Maroon and White’s fourth win last week. What mattered even more, however, was attaining an elusive triumph versus a county rival that’s always seemed to have the upperhand throughout the senior’s prep career.

“Going 0-3 against them in high school, and we hadn’t beat them since sixth grade, so we definitely had this circled since last season,” Ray said. “I thought we made some great plays offensively and defensively.”

That might’ve been an understatement, as the Warriors rushed out to a 34-0 halftime advantage behind two scores in the first quarter, three in the second and a solid stream of defensive highlights.

Farley opened the floodgates with a slippery 12-yard touchdown tote and extended West Point’s lead to 14-0 with a 17-yard screen pass to Smith. The dynamic duo continued to shine in the second quarter, with Smith reaching the end zone on 14- and 4-yard scampers, and Farley hitting Wrenn in stride for a 30-yard scoring strike.

Smith’s latter six-point play was set up by a pair of grown-man carries. Farley’s and Wrenn’s connection came just three snaps after Ray skied and extended for a snazzy pick.

“We came together and played a good game,” Wrenn said. “We didn’t let them hang around like we have in the past few years.”

The Maroon and White didn’t let off the pedal at the outset of the second half. Smith crossed the goal line for the fourth and final time on a 12-yard run not even two minutes in, and Kolton Easterwood later punched in a 3-yard quarterback keeper. Easterwood’s easy score immediately followed a 79-yard rumble down the right sideline by Alex Hernandez.

Farley finished 7-of-11 passing for 138 yards and churned out 87 rushing yards on 11 totes. The senior also had a 40-yard punt return that put the Warriors in position for their second touchdown.

Smith reeled off 150 rushing yards on 16 carries and had the lone reception for six points. Wrenn racked up 76 yards on three catches, and Ryder Jones pulled down two for 26 yards.

“All the glory to God,” Wrenn said. “Giving us the opportunity to come out here and play. Giving us the chance to be in a region where we’re good and can compete.”

Tristin Skinner was 5 of 7 on extra-point attempts.

Trent Campbell, Jones, Austin Young and Alex Thornton were among those who joined Ray and Wrenn as defensive stalwarts. As a unit, the West Point D limited Hanceville to just 10 total yards of offense in the first half and 134 overall. By comparison, the Maroon and Gold went wild for 318 yards in the first 24 minutes and wound up with 473.

“They’re undefeated for a reason,” Bulldogs coach Danny Miller said of the Warriors. “I hope they do well in their region.”

Hanceville did the best with what it had to work with. The Dawgs dressed out only 23 players for the game and might’ve lost two of them for the rest of the fall in Friday’s contest, according to Miller. Two deep drives into West Point territory were stopped dead in their tracks due to fumbles, the latter forced on a blow by Thornton.

“Overmatched. Outmanned. Outgunned,” Miller said. “We came out and played hard for a little while, but it’s almost like we’re looking for something to happen. And it usually does when you’re looking for it.”

Quarterback Branen Hurst saw limited action after missing last week’s game with an injury but hooked up with Isaac Weissend for a 15-yard touchdown pass inside the final 10 seconds.

Dant’e Reese piled on most of his 83 rushing yards in the second half, and Kaine Yates made his way into West Point’s backfield for two big tackles for loss in the first. Tanner Waldrep forced a fumble that John Messersmith recovered on the Warriors’ last possession before halftime.

Hanceville will try to regroup and recuperate in time for next Friday’s region rivalry with Winfield.

The Warriors hadn’t won five games in a single campaign since 2008, the last time they made the playoffs. They’ll find out if a return trip is in their cards over the next three weeks, with home games against J.O. Johnson and Russellville waiting in the wings before a road bout at a bitter East Limestone.

West Point, Russellville and East Limestone are all 3-0 in Class 5A, Region 8.

“Now it’s about the playoffs and taking care of business there,” Maroon and White coach Don Farley said. “That’s basically what the second half sets up for.”

Ray doesn’t just want to limp into the postseason, though. No, he’s got much bigger dreams in mind.

“We’re trying to go 10-0,” the senior said.