The crowd was packed to the brim, bursting with anticipation of a new record being set.
They were ready for Charlie Croff IV to become Lockport’s all-time leading scorer.
He, in turn, was ready to take his place among the all-time greats of Lockport.
They didn’t have to wait very long.
They only had to wait until midway through the first quarter to see it. Croff booked his place in the record books when he stole a ball at midcourt and hit a layup to give him 1,473 career points, passing the previous record of 1,471 points, set by Willie Haynes in 1985.
After the layup, the crowd erupted, the horn sounded and he was embraced by his teammates and coaches. He knew that he had just set the record and became the best scorer in the history of Lockport High School.
He even turned off his game face and cracked a smile when he was being congratulated by his teammates.
“It means everything, a lot of great basketball players here coming out of Lockport — my dad, Willie Haynes, that I just broke, feels amazing,” said Croff, who scored 29 points in a 46-40 win over Niagara Wheatfield on Thursday.
The moment the ball hit the floor, Lockport head coach Dave Gilson called a timeout. With the game paused, Lockport acknowledged the achievement by presenting a framed jersey and a trophy.
The awards were presented by Haynes’ sister, Angela, who came on the floor and embraced Croff and the connection that her late brother and Croff will forever have.
“It’s an honor. It’s amazing. My brother held this record for 40-plus years and he was an awesome athlete, a scholar athlete,” Haynes said. “That’s what I told Charlie on the court, I said, ‘My brother felt that success, anybody can be successful with hard work, sacrifice in time.’ I said, ‘you earn that award which represents your hard work, your sacrifice and your time. It’s an honor to present to you.’ … He may hold onto it for 40 years.”
As he got closer and closer to the record, Croff did not feel pressure, he knew that he would get it done if he trusted his teammates and coaches. But, when he did set the record, he admitted that it did take some weight off of his shoulders. Once he tied the record, it was only a matter of time before he would shatter it.
There were a lot of people in the stands that had an impact on Croff’s development, but none have had as much impact as his parents, Charlie and Melissa.
The eldest of the Croff children is just following in his dad’s footsteps as a scorer for the Lions. His dad, Charlie III, graduated in 1998 with 1,275 career points. Charlie IV passed his dad’s scoring record back on Dec. 19, as part of a 25-point performance against Williamsville North.
The totality of the eldest of the Croff kids means a lot to his dad. Charlie III, like many fathers, is proud that his son has surpassed his records.
“Since he could walk he had a ball in his hand and he’d follow me around to my games and my men’s leagues,” Charlie III said. “You could just see that he wanted to play all the time. So that, loving the game and his work ethic, put those two together and it’s a recipe for success.”
Croff’s quest for the record in his final season started off on a high note. He didn’t pass his father’s record, but he did get closer to the all-time record. Croff started his final high school season on fire, scoring a career high 42 points back on Dec. 6, 2025, against Williamsville East.
Croff’s scoring touch has been evident from almost the start of his career as he has scored double-digits in 67 of his 80 games. Croff is averaging 28 points per game. He has been lighting the scoreboard up this year, scoring over 20 points in all 13 of his team’s games.
When Croff was in eighth grade, he was called up to varsity for two games, but did not record any stats. Despite that, those two games served as learning moments for him and experiences that helped him get to this moment. But, even back then this was a day that he thought could happen.
“I always wanted these moments as a kid, so it was always in the back of my mind but it’s surreal as I got it done,” Charlie IV said. “… It’s always been a thought in my mind.”