Who Are Largo High's Top Two Students?

These two students are standouts at Largo High School. Who knows what they will achieve next!

All that hard work paid off, which is a fine lesson that seniors Steven Higginbotham and Adriana Wilson carry with them as they graduate from Largo High. Congratulations to them and to the Class of 2013! The two have good reason to celebrate: Out of a graduating class of 303 seniors, Steven is the Valedictorian for the Class of 2013, with the highest grade point average. Adriana us the Salutatorian, with the second-highest GPA. That dedication shows they know what it takes to succeed. Here are some more details on these top achievers. Get the Largo Patch newsletter delivered to your email for free. Sign up here.

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Largo Wrestler Helps Pinellas All Stars Defeat Pasco All Stars

Danny Bergstrom won his match while fellow Largo standout Derrick Doss was upset in the 182-lb. class.

The Pinellas County All Stars wrestling team defeated the Pasco County All Stars 45-15 on April 15, 2013. Pinellas County won 10 of the 14 bouts. Largo High School senior Danny Bergstrom earned a majority decision over Gary Garcia of Land O' Lakes High School in the 195-lb. weight class. Bergstrom's compelling life story was chronicled earlier this year in an article on the Bright House Sports Network website. Another Largo High wrestler, Derrick Doss, dropped his match by a 6-2 score to Collin Hahn of Fivay High School. Doss, a senior standout on the Packers' football team and one of the top wrestlers in Class 2A, was competing in the 182-lb. weight class. The Pinellas team was coached by two-time NCAA All-American Dustin DeNunzio from …

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Largo Police Officer of the Year: Mark Dakoski

Officer Mark Dakoski is honored as the 2012 Officer of the Year because of his professionalism, leadership, dedication and commitment, according to Largo Police.

Officer Mark Dakoski spent time off duty learning how to use social media to investigate crime. After all, he is the school resource officer at Largo High School, where he is responsible for the safety and security of more than 2,000 students and staff. Using these methods Dakoski was prepared for several criminal events including gang fights and drug activities. For those efforts and his professionalism, leadership, dedication and commitment he is honored as the 2012 Officer of the Year by Largo Police. "Dakoski personally knows and interacts with his students, keeping them on task and out of trouble. He deals with many different situations from minor behavioral issues and mental health counseling, to criminal complaints. By getting …

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Long-Term Sub in Hot Water for Flowchart

"Does the teacher look ready to kill the class?” is the question the teacher posed on a flowchart. Do you think it was inappropriate?

Aleece Quiroz, a 24-year-old long-term substitute teacher at Largo High School, is drawing criticism for a flowchart that she created that posed the question, "Does the teacher look ready to kill the class?” Quiroz defended her teaching in an interview with Bay News 9.  "My intentions are not to scare my students,” Quiroz told Bay News 9.  “The most scary thing I do is give them a look." Quiroz placed the flowchart in her 9th grade classroom on Monday. It begins with the question, “Am I allowed to not be doing work?”  If the person answers ‘no’ to that question and several more questions, they are led to the one question that asks, “Does the teacher look ready to kill the class?” To view the flowchart, which she posted to Facebook, and see…

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Largo High Hoops Team Advances to 6A Regional Finals

The boys basketball squad defeated Sickles, 54-51, Tuesday night to earn a date at Winter Haven on Saturday.

When you think Largo Packers athletics, football is normally the first thing that comes to mind. But this year the boys basketball program is making some noise in the county as well. The Packers hoops team defeated Sickles, 54-51, in the Class 6A regional semifinals at home on Tuesday night; they will now travel to Winter Haven for the 6A regional final game Saturday night at 7 p.m. According to the Tampa Bay Times, sophomore Donovan Hale, son of former Largo and Florida State standout Ron Hale, led the Packers with 27 points, including six three-pointers. Hale hit two threes and four free throws in the final two minutes to help seal the victory for Largo. If Largo were to beat Winter Haven on Saturday night, it would advance to the FHSAA …

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Packer Parents

Largo High Baseball Coach Optimistic About Upcoming Season

New players, new uniforms and plenty of pitching have Dan Flynn believing his team can turn the corner despite a challenging schedule.

Editor's Note: Author Jeff Rosenfield is a "Packer Parent" — his son is a member of the baseball program. If you're a Packer Parent, too, contact us at largo@patch.com to contribute info or photos of your child's team, or share them in a blog post or in the Largo Patch Pics & Clips gallery! There was a distinct chill in the air at Largo High School on Friday night, but it felt like spring for the members and supporters of the Packers varsity baseball team. The squad took to the expertly manicured field for the annual Blue/Gold intrasquad game, sporting sharp new uniforms and new hope that this could be the year they make a mark in the county. Head coach Dan Flynn, in his second year leading the Packers, believes his team will improve on …

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Update: Largo High Investigates Rumors of Violence Connected to Mayan Calendar

Pinellas Schools continue to look into reported rumors of potential violence connected to the Mayan calendar, but no credible threats have been found at this time, schools report.

UPDATE (4:30 p.m., Dec. 20): Although there are no credible threats, as a precaution Pinellas County Schools will increase patrols by local law enforcement agencies around campuses due to rumors of potential violence connected to the end of the Mayan calendar on Friday, Dec. 21, according to school officials.  The increased security will be in place to make students and parents feel more secure, said schools spokeswoman Melanie Marquez. Authorities may have found one source of the rumors, which have circulated by Facebook and other social media, Marquez said. Some Largo High School parents received an email from the school, which read in part: "The county just sent an email saying that, with the help of the authorities, they have tracked …

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Melissa Lattman

2:59 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012

I called the county school office and they were not aware of a lockdown and the school is over for the today. Let us know if you hear anything else.   more ›

Photos: Share Your Largo Packers Playoff Football Photos

Largo suffers disappointing 10-6 loss to defending state champion Armwood.

The Largo Packers' fantastic 2012 season came to a sudden, stunning conclusion Friday night, as the team that went 10-0 in the regular season could not overcome a spate of turnovers in a disappointing 10-6 loss to defending state champion Armwood. Packer quarterback Juwan Brown, who hadn't thrown an interception all season, tossed five balls to Hawks defenders, and Largo couldn't overcome its seven turnovers despite limiting Armwood, and star quarterback Alvin Bailey, to just 10 points. It was a star-studded night both on and off the field at the Missouri Avenue campus. Former Packer and current Tampa Bay Buc Leonard Johnson was on the sidelines cheering his team on, scouts were on hand to watch the University of Florida-bound Bailey, and …

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Largo High to Dedicate Season to Ex-Player, 20, Who Died

Former lineman Kevin Gulley has passed away, the Tampa Bay Times reports, and the team is holding a car wash Saturday to help pay for his funeral.

A 20-year-old former Largo High football player has died, the Tampa Bay Times reports, citing Packers coach Rick Rodriguez.  Kevin Gulley was at work last week when he was found unconcscious on the bathroom floor, Rodriguez told the newspaper's Home Team sports blog. He was hospitalized with no brain activity and taken off a ventilator Tuesday, Rodriguez said. “Kevin always had a smile on his face, and was well liked by everyone,” Rodriguez told the Times. “It was a tough situation for all of us.” Friends echoed Rodriguez' words through tweets. "Saying my prayers & keeping the (G)ulley family in my prayers. Rip Kevin Gulley," wrote Dyimond Johnson . The Packers had a memorial for Gulley in the locker room Tuesday and plan to wear KG decals…

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Largo High Grad Helps Bucs Break Ground in North Greenwood

Leonard Johnson, a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who grew up playing for the Greenwood Panthers, was on hand for the groundbreaking of the Clearwater team’s field Tuesday.

Once it was overflow parking for Jack Russell Stadium. Now, it could be the field of the next homegrown hero. Greenwood Panthers players ran routes and caught passes from NFL players like Josh Freeman, Gerald McCoy and Connor Barth on Tuesday as part of a groundbreaking ceremony for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Field. But no name in this part of town is bigger than Leonard Johnson. The field is one of two being built on the former parking lot sandwiched between the North Greenwood Recreation and Aquatics Complex and the North Greenwood Library. Johnson, who grew up just a few passes from the new field, came up as a star quarterback at Largo High and went on to an illustrious college career at Iowa State. He is a rookie this year with the Bucs …

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