CHS alumnus Moore returns ‘home’ to lead Falcon baseball program

New Channelview High School Head Baseball Coach John Moore
New Channelview High School Head Baseball Coach John Moore

New Channelview High School Head Baseball Coach John Moore has found his way back home.

The 1998 alumnus and standout athlete for the Falcon football and baseball team served as a varsity assistant at CHS from 2004-2009 before becoming the first head coach at Bastrop ISD’s Cedar Creek High School in 2010. Moore established himself as a winning coach, guiding his teams to the playoffs the past three years, which included a state-ranked squad last year.

Moore was happy as coach of Cedar Creek and had thoughts of a long-term career in Central Texas. However, the opportunity he had dreamed about presented itself – a chance to lead the Channelview Falcons baseball team.

“We built a great program from the ground up at Cedar Creek and we were really hitting our stride,” Moore said. I could have stayed there for a long time, but then I heard about the opening here in Channelview. It was the only job that could make me turn my head. After giving it a lot of thought, I knew my heart was leading me back home.”

With his family still living in the Channelview area, Moore has remained connected with the community and his alma mater.

“One of the things that drew me back here is that Channelview is still a close-knit community and remains a very strong baseball community,” Moore said. “From T-ball to the teenage leagues, the programs here have been extremely solid over the years. It is our job to continue to bring out the very best in those players once they reach the high school level.”

Moore was a three-year varsity letterman at second base and shortstop for the Falcons, including the 1997 playoff team during his junior year. After graduating from CHS, he received a full scholarship to play at Texas Southern University. However, Moore’s playing career came to a halt during his senior season as he suffered a shoulder injury.

With a marketing degree in hand, Moore spent a year away from baseball. Then some advice from a good friend and mentor led him back to the baseball diamond.

“I still felt very connected to the game,” Moore said. “My former coach Kerry Cox then suggested to me that I should pursue an alternative teaching certificate and go into coaching.”

In August 2004, Moore was hired as a Life Skills teacher at Channelview High School and served as an assistant baseball coach.

“I owe a lot to Coach Cox,” Moore said. “He knew how much I loved the game and felt like I had something to contribute. Teaching and coaching is a perfect fit for me, because I like the interaction with the students and just being involved with the game. I’m very blessed.”

In 2006, Moore was part of the coaching staff that saw the Falcon baseball team make their way to the state semifinals in Austin. “That was Coach (Cory) Bowyer’s first year and we had an outstanding group of young men on that team. It was exciting to be one of the top four teams in the entire state,” he recalled.

The Falcons would advance to the playoffs again in 2009. Moore’s experience serving as an assistant coach on playoff teams then guided him to his first varsity head coaching job at Cedar Creek.

Now that Moore has returned to Channelview, he has high expectations of his players on and off the field.

“Our motto is ‘live every day like a champion,’ which means that we will work hard in our preparation in practice and have the right mindset every time we take the field,” he said. “I also expect our student athletes to approach their academic studies with the same enthusiasm and represent our community as well-rounded individuals.”

The Falcon players have embraced Moore’s expectations and expect to be in the middle of the District 21-6A playoff picture.

“We have a great group of players, with our seniors providing strong leadership,” he said. “I want them to enjoy the game of baseball and stay committed to the goals in front of us. If we can do that, the wins will take care of themselves.”