MORGANTOWN — It was a little more than 10 years ago when then-Morgantown High student Nathan Houser and a few classmates were avid bowlers, and they were hoping to get a varsity bowling team started. Unfortunately, the time wasn’t right.
Fast forward to 2024: Houser is now a social studies and business law teacher at MHS, so when the opportunity came across his desk to establish the Mohigans bowling program, he jumped at the chance.
“I’ve loved the sport since I was eight,” Houser explained, “So, I know first-hand that bowling can be enjoyed for a lifetime. That was part of the recruitment message to the students, along with the chance to compete, represent your school, and maybe even earn a college scholarship. The initial interest was great, and we ended up with 26 kids in all. There were no cuts, which leaves us with about 20 travel bowlers and one or two JV teams. We’re very encouraged with the numbers for our first season.”
MHS competes in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference, which has featured varsity bowling for over 20 years, and faced Parkersburg South at Suburban Lanes in Morgantown on Thursday (the Patriots prevailed). However, Houser insists that his team’s success will be measured in different ways than mere wins and losses.
“We are focusing on fun and improvement, for sure,” he smiled. “I sometimes have to remind them that this is their first experience in competitive high school bowling, and it’s more than just a hobby or a party. We (along with assistant coach Halie Kutscher) are dedicated to improving, and to helping them learn the sport the right way. It’s a bit like a golf swing – there are a lot of tiny things that can go wrong. So, we try to give them just enough technical advice to move them forward without overwhelming them.”
The Mohigans have several bowlers with extensive youth league experience and solid averages, including Christian O’Dell (188), Riley Brabson (179), and Ryan Graham (180) on the boys’ team, while Sloane Coombs and Maliah Dalton are pacing the girls. O’Dell, a senior, has enjoyed the opportunity to provide leadership, as well as fine tune his game after a long break.
“I bowled in a youth league when I was 10, then started concentrating on golf and basketball,” he said. “When Coach Hauser said the team was moving forward about two months ago, I was excited, but nervous. I was concerned that guys wouldn’t take it seriously, but everyone has come in trying to learn and improve, and that’s been great. And I make sure everyone knows I’m here to help if they need it.
“I’ve learned so much in a short period of time. I used to pretty much just throw and see what happens, but coach is helping me learn about lines, speed, rotation, oil patterns. There’s so much to this sport if you want to be good, and the specific advice has been super helpful. I know I can get a lot better, and who knows? If things fall right, I’d definitely be interested in competing at the next level.”
Junior Aubrey Skidmore has never bowled competitively before, but she decided to try something new with some friends.
“It’s been fun, but a lot more challenging than I thought,” she admitted with a grin. “The hardest part is developing consistency, but I think that will improve with more practice. The best part is getting to wear the Mohigans uniform, represent the school, and compete with my friends. Plus, we are like bowling pioneers for MHS, which is pretty cool. I’ll definitely come back next year, and I hope to have some more friends come out next year.”
Hauser is more than pleased with his team’s progress so far.
“There’s a lot to learn to become competitive in varsity bowling,” he said. “We are finding that out as we move through the schedule. But we enjoyed some success with a third-place finish at a recent tournament in St. Clairsville, Ohio, which did a lot for our morale. But just the fact that we have a team is a huge step for the program, and as long as we keep the numbers up, having fun, and keep knocking pins down, it’s going to be a great year, and a great start for MHS bowling.”
