Kierra Thayer rumbled on both ends of the floor as an 8th grader. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
They closed with a vengeance.
Capping a season of huge improvement, the Coupeville Middle School girls basketball teams went basket for basket with their next door neighbors Thursday in Langley.
The Wolf varsity, led by the red-hot long-distance shooting of Haylee Armstrong, pushed the Cougars hard, before being nipped 21-19 in what coaches from both schools termed “their best game so far.”
“Haylee hit a couple of big threes, and our defense was nearly flawless, keeping South Whidbey from setting up an offense the majority of the game,” said Coupeville coach Kassie O’Neil.
Haylee Armstrong led all Coupeville Middle School players in scoring this season.
“The girls came out ready to play and kept up the same energy throughout the entire game,” O’Neil said.
“I think both of our teams brought our A-games and it was great to see two similar teams going head-to-head.”
While Armstrong was droppin’ bombs from the parking lot, Kierra Thayer anchored the Wolf defense.
“Kierra had a few HUGE stuffs, denying the shooters any time they tried to get a shot up past her,” O’Neil said. “And she was there to rebound on both ends of the court.
“Her hustle during this game was the best I’ve seen from her this season.”
While Coupeville couldn’t quite nab the season-ending victory, O’Neil still came away flushed with pride in her young players.
“It was the best ending for our season. I’m so proud of these girls and the gains they made in such a short amount of time,” she said.
“I think we accomplished our big goals — they gained foundational skills, learned what it means to turn a team into family, and fostered a love for the game.”
A former Coupeville hoops star who was known for knocking down big shots at crunch time, O’Neil was pleased with a lot of what she saw in her first season being in charge.
“If I’m lucky enough to continue coaching Wolves hoops, I’ll be happy to see these girls back on the court for another couple of seasons,” she said. “It’s been a blast to witness their growth and joy, playing the sport I love.”
O’Neil’s fellow coach, Kristina Forbes, had a similar experience in her first go-round with the Wolf JV, which fell 46-11 at Langley.
“We had one main goal and that was to just play better than we did the first we played South Whidbey,” she said. “We accomplished that. These girls played their hearts out and never gave up!”
Willow Leedy-Bonifas is a fireball on the floor.
Forbes gave her whole team props, with a special shout-out for feisty guard Willow Leedy-Bonifas.
“She was not afraid to get in the face of her opponent and try for the steals!” Forbes said with a big smile.
Coupeville’s second squad was almost entirely made up of players who were brand new to competitive basketball, but they held up well against much more experienced teams such as King’s, Sultan, and Langley.
“This season was full of learning to cope with emotions, and to develop skills, bonding with their teammates and learning to trust each other on the court,” Forbes said.
“My girls have come so far from the beginning of the season till the end.
“By last night’s game the nerves seemed to be distant and all that beamed through them was determination.
“Overall, I hope that my girls had a fun season and will plan to come out next year.”
