Canandaigua football coach Jeff Welch has earned the Buffalo Bills' Rochester-region Coach of the Week award after his team advanced to the Section V Class A2 championship game.
Welch and Buffalo-region honoree Ty Harper, coach of Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton, were recognized for the week ending Nov. 1, with each program receiving $1,000 from the Bills and Visa.
Canandaigua defeated Vertus 34-0 in the semifinals to improve to 8-1 and set up Friday's championship matchup with Greece Athena, according to the Bills' announcement.
Aleksander Hawryschuk ran for 118 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Sophomore quarterback Brady Davern, filling in for injured Austin Kierst, completed six of 13 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown.
Welch continues Canandaigua's football tradition
Welch is in his 16th season with a 109-43 coaching record. His teams won four consecutive Section V titles from 2019 through 2022 and reached the state semifinals in 2019.
He was named the Class A2 coach of the year in 2022 and teaches physical education.
Davern's father, Jim, and Jim's twin brother, Jon, shared state offensive player of the year honors on Canandaigua's undefeated 1999 Class A championship team coached by Mike Foster.
That roster also included Ryan Poles, according to the Bills' account.
Welch went on to play football and lacrosse at Ithaca College. His father, Mike, coached Ithaca football to a 169-78 record.
The Bills also highlighted the program's community involvement and sportsmanship. Canandaigua has received sportsmanship recognition in five of the past six years, and players have supported the local VA hospital and Frank Baker program, which serves about 250 children from kindergarten through sixth grade.
Harper's team moves into Section VI semifinals
Harper's Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton team defeated Springville 40-6 in the Section VI Class C quarterfinals to improve to 6-3.
Tristen Gibbs carried 16 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns, while Josh Swan threw two touchdown passes.
The win set up a Friday semifinal against Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove, which beat Harper's team 14-8 earlier in the season.
Harper is in his second season leading Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton after taking the team to the state semifinals in 2025.
He previously coached the combined Clymer/Sherman/Panama program from 2015 through 2024, going 78-24 and winning state titles in 2018, 2019 and 2024, along with four Section VI titles. He coached Clymer/Sherman in 2014.
Harper graduated from Fredonia in 2004 after playing guard and linebacker and earning honorable mention All-Western New York recognition. He played defensive end for four years at St. John Fisher under Paul Vosburgh and started on the 2006 national semifinal team.
His players help coach a youth camp for children in grades three through eight. His program also earned state scholar-athlete recognition in 2025.
At season's end, each region's Coach of the Year will receive another $1,000 for the school and be recognized at the Bills' January home game against the New York Jets.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.