From Then To Now: An East area teacher love story

Then college freshman Maggie O’Neal grabbed her school-issued coat and hat — the clothes all athletes were given — and stepped into the negative 30 degree weather. She looked at what her date, Doug Archer the 6’8″ basketball stud, was wearing, and there was an awkward pause — they had on the same outfit. Both were athletes at the University of North Dakota and both were extremely uncomfortable standing out in their identical outfits at Taco Bell on their first date.

Neither of them expected that awkward coincidence to be the thing that led to a connection, and eventually a marriage. And neither expected to find a person, let alone their future partner, up in North Dakota.

The two had a love for sports in common, from watching Doug post up for the North Dakota fighting Sioux games to Maggie running the softball bases.

Now, Maggie is the new Aerobics and Weights teacher, while Doug is a para at Belinder Elementary School and is the new JV coach for girls basketball at East.

They met in the University Life class — a class all athletes had to take. She still remembers turning in her seat and introducing herself to him.

“When we first met in the class that we had, I thought that she was very pretty,” Doug said. “And in the few conversations that we had, I felt that it was somebody that I could hangout with and connect with.”

The two chatted a bit, and spent time together — only with friends, but the relationship didn’t go further than that until yet another coincidence happened over winter break.

They unknowingly booked the same flight to Kansas City and their seats were right next to each other. She was on her way home to Shawnee and he was heading back to his small town outside of Maryville, Missouri. They spent the entire flight talking, and by February they were dating.

Doug was, and still is, special to Maggie. He was a guy that could understand what road trips for games were like. He knew what it was like to get up at 5 a.m. to work out and make it to an early morning class. Someone who had experienced the judgmental looks from other students when they had to crawl up the stairs after running too hard at practice the day before.

Doug understood — and that is what Maggie loved about him. 

She went to his games. He could never see her — the crowds were always filled with hundreds of people, but he knew she was there. She was just one in a crowd of hundreds, but she was the most important of all. 

When she had home games, Doug was always there with the entire basketball team to cheer her on, showing Maggie that he was different from the other guys her friends dated. He was supportive of her and her passion.

The team didn’t stop cheering on Doug and Maggie — they even showed up when Doug proposed.

Maggie said “yes” to the movie theatre marquee with “starring Maggie” on one side and “Will you marry me?” posted on the other, the whole team came to celebrate along with them. 

Even today their competitive pasts are brought up — especially with board games (Doug’s frustration can build up).

“We are still very competitive,” Doug said. “There are times when she will win and I won’t talk to her for a little while for like an hour maybe, then after that I’m over it.” 

“It’s all fun and games, but I know he will come back to me,” Maggie said while laughing.

They are both happy to have returned back “home” and be close to family. They are hoping to begin new roots here in the district, and they are both excited to be wearing identical spirit wear again — except this time it will say SME.