March 15, 2024

Fairview High School senior Cole Joseph has done two things this year that some people only dream about. 

The first was bowling a perfect 300 game for the Warriors. Joseph achieved that and bowled 12 strikes in a row in a match on January 16. According to a 2017 CBS News article, the chances are 11,500 to 1 for an “average” bowler to achieve this feat. It’s safe to say that Cole Joseph is not your “average” bowler.

The second thing was turning a passion into a successful plan for the future. Joseph achieved that by taking his love for the sport and translating it into a scholarship to compete athletically for Baldwin Wallace University next season.

Both accomplishments did not come easily.

Four years ago, as a freshman, Joseph joined the newly formed Warriors bowling team, an experience he described as “rough.”

“We didn’t have a team, really,” Joseph explained. “People would show up just every once in a while, and there was no consistency. The next year, we were down a coach, and I was worried we weren’t even going to have a team. Mr. Hoskins stepped in for those two years, and that’s when the program really grew - we had so many new people.”

During that time, Joseph continued to work on his game, including practices at the lanes on his own and with a coach, sometimes up to three times a week. On January 16, the practice paid off in a matchup against Oberlin. After starting his three game series with a 210, he became more confident in his second game.

“I don’t think I really got lucky on any of the strikes I had,” Joseph said of his perfect performance. “Normally, you hear stories about people getting a Brooklyn strike or whatever. I was pretty confident in every ball that I threw. When you have a really good line, you kind of have some wiggle room to throw the ball. I felt I had a pretty good amount.”

To protect the jinx on his perfect game, none of his teammates or parents said anything to him during the game. Pandemonium broke out on the lanes once his 12th strike hit the pins.

“After the fact, I went up to my parents and gave them a hug,” Joseph said. “My parents’ friends said they didn’t move, didn’t want to move anything, and stayed in the exact same spot the whole time. They didn’t want to jinx it. My teammates were going crazy, so was my Dad. You could hear him screaming; it was crazy.”

Outside of the perfect game, Joseph said his biggest challenge in 2024 was getting out of the sectional tournament. In the North Shore Bowling Conference, only the top three teams and top three individuals advance to the district tournament.

“Every year, that’s what you look forward to,” Joseph explained. “You bowl up until then, and then it all comes down to that. Either you advance, or you’re done. Every year, I’ve been looking forward to that tournament, nervous about that.”

Joseph achieved his goal with a two strong games in the sectionals, propelling him to the district tournament in 2024. 

He also did something even more impactful: He received a scholarship to attend Baldwin-Wallace University and compete for the Yellowjackets in bowling. He is interested in pursuing a degree in Sports Management.

“We toured it, and I knew it was the school I wanted to go to,” Joseph said. “Once we got the acceptance letter, I knew I wanted to bowl with them now.”

His advice to other students at Fairview is to keep working hard, and dreams can come true.

“You can really do anything, even if it’s playing an instrument in college. You can do anything at the next level,” Joseph expressed. “I would have never thought I would be bowling for a college if you had told me a few years ago. But, if you do the hard work, you can get it done.