New Cardinal O'Hara boys bowling coach brings excitement

Submitted by Cardinal O’Hara High School

Andrew Moje, the new boys bowling coach at Cardinal O’Hara High School, has had an interesting journey since graduating from O’Hara in 2016 to working fulltime as a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office.

In between, Moje graduated from Niagara County Community College having studied biology and was immediately hired by the NCSO.

“Never had a chance to try out my biology,” he laughed.

However, he’s bowled all his life, including being a member of the 2015 team at Cardinal O’Hara that won the diocesan championship.

“I’ve been a friend of Mike Morehouse whose been the O’Hara girls bowling team coach for four years,” Moje said. “He graduated a year ahead of me and we were on the bowling team. So, when Mike asked me to be the boys bowling coach, it was hard to say no.”

This year there are 15 students who signed up for the team, meaning there will be a varsity team and two JV teams, each with five students.

The team will alternate matches at Classic Lanes, Abbott Lanes and Mallwitz Island Lanes.

O’Hara Athletic Director Earl Schunk said, "We are fortunate to have Andrew as our new bowling coach. I want to thank Brian Lamping for doing an excellent job with our boys' bowlers for these last few years. Andrew is an alumnus who realizes what it is like to be a Hawk, plus he is an excellent bowler who competed for Cardinal O'Hara. Judging by the interest from our male students, I think he will do an excellent job going forward with our bowlers."

Principal Joleen Dimitroff said, “As we continue to strive for excellence both academically and athletically, it is with great pleasure that I welcome Andrew Moje to the Cardinal O’Hara Community. What sets Andrew apart is not just his knowledge of the game, but also his dedication to the holistic development of our student-athletes. He understands that success in bowling extends beyond the lanes and aims to instill important life skills such as discipline, teamwork, and resilience. I encourage our students to embrace this opportunity to learn, grow and excel under coach Moje's guidance. I am confident that he will lead our bowling team to new heights and instill a sense of pride and sportsmanship among our student body.”

Moje said his goal is to get everyone used to bowling, as several team members have never bowled before.

“We’ll do our best,” Moje said. “We want to keep the Hawk pride.”