Sophomore Dom Welch reaches 1,000

 

 

 

Student sections like to let you know when a young underclassmen has made an impact on a game.  Often times, when a sophomore or freshman hits a 3-pointer or makes a big play in a game, the crowd will start a chant to let you know - "he's a sophomore".  However, with Dominick Welch at Cheektowaga, it would be the most redundant in the history of chants.  Every night he laces them up for the Warriors, he fills up the rim and is more often than not, the game-high scorer.  And you can always count on something sensational out of the young star with his above-the-rim style.

 

Welch scored a team-high 25 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, blocked eight shots, and threw down three highlight dunks in Cheektowaga's 60-53 win over East, on his way to eclipsing the 1,000 point total for his career...in just his sophomore season.

 

After piling up 15 first half points, that included the #BOOM of the season - a coast-to-coast, full speed, in transition, in traffic, poster dunk - Welch was just four points shy of the 1,000 mark.  Just past the midway point of the third quarter, he reached the century mark from the charity stripe, on a pair of tosses that never touched the rim.  The game stopped just long enough for his teammates to surround Welch and his commemorative 1,000-point ball and take a couple pictures.  Then he was back to work.  

 

Welch scored the last bucket of the third quarter - a vicious one-handed slam that began as a drive out on the perimeter and ended in the face of the defense.  Boom!  With the game tied at 53 late in the final stanza, the Warriors closed the contest on a 7-0 run, with Welch scoring four of those points, to finish off the Panthers.

 

"I knew I could do it, but I didn't know it was going to be this early", Welch said.  "I thought it might happen some time next year".

 

-centercourt

Comments

[StateChamps2003]

This game was fun, fast, and energetic from the get go. Percy Bryant and Dom Welch are probably two of the most exciting players in WNY to watch. If the season ended today my pick for 1st team All-Centercourt would be Bryant, Welch, Panebianco, Truheart and then a toss up between Cam Lewis, Billy Brooks, Devin Morris and Laterrence Reed. But again, still a little early. My notes and observations from this game (any stats given are unofficial):

- J. Konst, former Williamsville East guard that led the Flames to the Class B state title game in 2001 was one of the 2 referees for this game. And by the way, I thought the officiating for this game was excellent. Balanced, fair and let the players play.

- East shot an atrocious 3/19 from three point range. All three of which came from Percy Bryant. All while Cheektowaga shot a more than respectable 8/25.

- East went 6/10 from the line while Cheektowaga went 6/14.

- Damone Brown has improved ten fold from last year. He made some moves to the basket that I don't think he would have even thought to make last year.

- Only 8 players dressed for East. This seems like a trend for the Yale Cup schools. I noticed that only 8 players dressed for I-Prep last week.

- Former South Park head coach, Romeo Mckinney could be seen on East's bench. Romeo formerly worked with City Honors in the early 2000s, McKinley a few years back (Mansa Habeeb years?) and now with East. All those programs for those respective time periods were winners. A nice common denominator there.

- The music during timeouts at Cheektowaga needs to stop. It's loud and obnoxious. Along with the "Cha-ching" sound clip everytime Cheektowaga made a free-throw. Save the music for pre-game warm-ups and halftime please.

[StateChamps2003]

Also, East called a timeout with about 4:21 left in the game after taking a 53-51 lead. They would obviously go the rest of the game without scoring another point.

[Chuck from Portland]

Odds of Welch moving to Park next year? Lord knows how Battaglia is getting all these athletes from all over the city to Park in burbs.