Coupeville Sports

Kassie O’Neil is back. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

You can’t keep a killer out of the gym.

Former Wolf hoops legend Kassie (Lawson) O’Neil, the hardwood heroine who made private school foes cry copious buckets o’ tears in her playing days, is back on the sideline.

Two years after she stepped down as Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball coach, she’s returning to her roots with the town’s middle school program.

CHS/CMS Athletic Director Becky Cays confirmed Tuesday that O’Neil has been tabbed to join Brooke Crowder in guiding the CMS girls’ hoops program.

Her hire will become official once approved by the school board at its Thursday meeting.

O’Neil replaces Makana Stone, now in her first season coaching at Walla Walla University.

During her previous three-year run as a Wolf coach, O’Neil worked at both the middle and high school levels, helping guide current varsity players such as Haylee Armstrong, Capri Anter, and Tenley Stuurmans.

A vintage photo captures O’Neil (24) during her playing days.

As a high school player, O’Neil saw varsity action all four of her seasons between 2005-2006 and 2008-2009, scoring 184 career points.

But it was when she tallied those buckets which still looms largest.

O’Neil delivered a prime-time dagger to ruin the evening for the richniks from King’s in 2008, nailing a buzzer-beating three-ball to give Coupeville a 33-32 home win and the #1 playoff seed out of the Cascade Conference.

A year later, as a CHS senior, she poured in 13 of her team-high 19 points in the fourth quarter to fuel a wild comeback against Granite Falls in a game which came down to the final second.

That included splashing home a trey with 18 seconds to play to force a tie.

Now back for another tour of duty in the same gyms she once lit up as a player, O’Neil will join Crowder in leading the CMS girls through an eight-game schedule which kicks off Feb. 11 with a home rumble against South Whidbey.