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Welch Sets Program Record As Warriors End Division Title Drought

All the talk around Dominick Welch this season has been about his pursuit Western New York scoring record. But the Cheektowaga Central standout had some team-based goals to tend to first – and on Thursday night, he got closer to local immortality along the way.

The Warriors superstar put on another show in the regular-season finale, setting another record and ending a drought that lasted more than a half-century for his school. Welch poured in a program-record 51 points and Warriors clinched program’s first division title since 1963 with a 94-40 rout of rival Depew.

“It feels real good,” Welch said. “I’ve been playing here for five years and we finally got it in my last year. We all worked together and we got it and it feels real good right now.”

The Warriors (13-7 overall and 11-1 in ECIC III) clinched a share of the division crown with East Aurora. And it was only appropriate that Welch, a varsity standout since he was in middle school, was the star of the show when Cheektowaga ended the 54-year drought.

In the process, he added his name to the school record book located in the hallway outside the gym and home locker room. After a decent seven points in the first quarter, Welch put on a show in the second and third quarters. He scored 22 points in the second quarter and added 20 more in the third quarter to break the Cheektowaga record of 48 points in a game, set by 1996 graduate Erik Binkowski 21 years ago.

Welch topped 50 with a dunk early in the fourth quarter and then was pulled from the game.

“I’ve been looking at that and looking to break it for a long time,” he said. “I finally got it and at the right time. We’ve got one more game here and I’m going to try to break my record again.”

If he does, Western New York history will be made in front of the home crowd. Even if he doesn’t get there in the quarters, as long as the Warriors win, that history will likely me made at Buff State.

Thursday’s epic performance moved Welch’s career point total to 2,306 – 49 points away from Burgard great Ritchie Campbell’s Western New York career scoring record of 2,355. The closer he gets, the more the anticipation grows for the Cheektowaga great.

“Whooo,” Welch said with a smile. “Man, I’m gonna get it. I got you all, I’m gonna get it.”

Welch’s chase for the record has been well-documented and there’s no doubt the Warriors have their eyes set on the huge accomplishment. But Welch has never stepped away from his team first mentality – and that has folks in and out of Cheektowaga rooting for Welch to make history.

“He’s been with me for five years,’ Cullinan said. “And he’s never been like, ‘I’m going for mine.” He’s always going with the flow. Everyone says what a great kid he is. He’s nice, he’s charismatic, and he’s got a great personality. He’s going after it. If he gets it, great. If he doesn’t, great. He’s still one helluva player.

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