The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Wharton shines at conference meet

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The Wharton High School boys cross-country team swept the Hillsborough County Western Conference meet on Oct. 13 at Al Lopez Park in Tampa. Wharton’s Tre Rivers, Casey Pleune, Noah Damjanovic, Sahil Deschenes and Frankie Godbold each finished in the top five, capturing all five of the first-team all-conference National Division honors. Wharton High junior Ryan Anders placed ninth to claim second-team honors. Seven schools (including Wharton) compete in the National Division: King, Freedom, Strawberry Crest, Hillsborough, Middleton and Tampa Bay Tech.

First Team

  • Sophomore Tre Rivers: first place in the division in 16:22 (set a new school record for sophomores)
  • Freshman Casey Pleune: second place in 16:49 (broke his own school record for freshmen)
  • Junior Noah Damjanovic: third place (16:52)
  • Junior Sahil Deschenes: fourth place in (16:57)
  • Junior Frankie Godbold: fifth place in (17:12)

Second team

  • Junior Ryan Anders: ninth place in (17:47)

Tailback surpasses 1,000 yards rushing

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Wesley Chapel High's Dexter Leverett (File Photo)
Wesley Chapel High’s Dexter Leverett
(File Photo)

Dexter Leverett, a junior tailback at Wesley Chapel High, surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the Wildcats’ 48-13 victory over Anclote High on Oct. 14. Through seven games, the 5-foot-9, 163-pound back ranks third in Class 5A in rushing yards (1,026) and yards per game (146.6). Leverett, a transfer from Taylors, South Carolina, also has scored eight touchdowns.

“He’s got it all,” Wildcats coach Anthony Egan said about Leverett last month. “He’s a power back, he’s explosive, and he’s got that top-end speed—the kid runs a 4.53 40 (yard dash). He’s just a really quick kid…and he can make cuts in the open field.” Wesley Chapel’s last 1,000-yard rusher was in 2009, when Jon Mahan ran for 1,129 yards.

Saint Leo swimmer receives weekly honor

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Saint Leo's Nicole Weber (Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics)
Saint Leo’s Nicole Weber (Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics)

Saint Leo women’s senior Nicole Weber was named the Sunshine State Conference Swimmer of the Week following her performance at a double dual meet on Oct. 14 at Lynn University in Boca Raton. The honor marks Weber’s eighth of her career. Weber, a native of Konz, Germany, posted three individual first-place finishes, and also swam a leg of Saint Leo’s first-place 200 Medley Relay team. Weber won both the 200 Breaststroke (2:17.73) and 100 Breaststroke (1:05.29). She also capped the meet with a first-place time of 2:09.09 in the 200 Individual Medley (IM).

Weber’s 200 Breaststroke time is the fastest in Division II this season. Her 200 IM time ranks fourth, while her 100 Breaststroke time ranks fifth. The Lions next meet is Oct. 28.

Steinbrenner High linebacker commits to Air Force

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Devon Connors, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound senior linebacker at Steinbrenner High School, has committed to play football at the United States Air Force Academy, a Division I school. Connors previously committed to Florida International University on June 23. Through six games at Steinbrenner, Connors has 44 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and one interception.

Pasco County Lacrosse sets concert/raffle for Dec. 3

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The Pasco County Lacrosse Alliance (PCLA) is hosting its first annual PascoLax Harley Jam on Dec. 3, at the Concourse Rotary Pavilion, 15325 Alric Pottberg Road in Spring Hill. The concert/raffle event will run from noon to 6 p.m. Raffle drawings will be conducted throughout the concert via a “reverse raffle” format.

Concert performers include three Tampa-based bands: Soul Circus Cowboys, Jaded and Phoenix. The “grand prize” to be raffled off is a 2017 Harley-Davidson SuperGlide, provided by Harley-Davidson Florida.

All net proceeds from the event will benefit the PCLA to help provide funding for Pasco County high schools to offer boys and girls lacrosse programs. Tickets for the concert/raffle are $100, while concert-only tickets are $10 per person.

Only 1,000 raffle tickets will be sold. Food trucks and other vendors will be present, and 98 Rock will provide a live remote from the concert.

For information, visit PascoLaxHarleyJam.com, or email .

Freedom High boys golf captures wins districts

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The Freedom High boys varsity golf team won its fourth consecutive district title on Oct. 10. From left, Cooper Smith, Matt Daniello, Cy Storlien, Nick Mitchell, Tyler Bray and Sam Smith. (File Photo)
The Freedom High boys varsity golf team won its fourth consecutive district title on Oct. 10. From left, Cooper Smith, Matt Daniello, Cy Storlien, Nick Mitchell, Tyler Bray and Sam Smith. (File Photo)

The Freedom High boys varsity golf team captured its fourth consecutive district title on Oct. 10 at Hunter’s Green Country Club in Tampa. The Patriots, which shot a 309 as a team, were led by junior Cy Storlien (73) who was the crowned individual Class 3A-District 10 champ. Freedom’s other tournament qualifiers were: Tyler Bray (77), Cooper Smith (77), Sam Smith (82) and Nick Mitchell (83).

Cyber threats on the rise, expert says

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The global impact of cyber crimes is likely to skyrocket over the next several years, Sri Sridharan, a cyber security expert predicts.

Sridharan, managing director and chief executive officer of the Florida Center for Cybersecurity at the University of South Florida, was the keynote speaker during the Cybersecurity Symposium at Pasco-Hernando State College, on Oct. 11.

Hacking, he said, continues to be a “serious problem” in the realm of cyber security.

“It’s a huge crime that’s taking place on a daily basis,” Sridharan said. “There’s lots of people wanting to steal your personal information, and steal intellectual property.”

The latest statistics related to cyber crime are staggering.

According to a recent study by Juniper Research, the global impact on cyber crimes was about $400 billion in 2015. By 2019, the market research organization projects the impact will be approximately $2.1 trillion.

“In my opinion, that number is going to be even higher,” Sridharan said. “Every second, at least 22 records are breached. That’s about 2 million (records) per day.”

Courtesy of Florida Center for Cybersecurity Sri Sridharan, is the managing director and chief executive officer of the Florida Center for Cybersecurity at the University of South Florida.
Courtesy of Florida Center for Cybersecurity
Sri Sridharan, is the managing director and chief executive officer of the Florida Center for Cybersecurity at the University of South Florida.

Sridharan said hackers often focus on high-value industries — healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services — to access and modify information.

“No longer is this a backdoor problem,” he said. “It’s moved to boardrooms of corporations. Boards of directors now have a fiscal responsibility to make sure the information they have is well protected. Otherwise, they can get sued.”

Yet, many organizations haven’t put safety measures in place to protect against such threats.

A 2016 global economic crime survey by the consulting firm PricewaterHouseCooper (PwC) found that 32 percent of organizations were affected by cyber crime last year. Moreover, the survey found only 37 percent of organizations have a cohesive plan in response to cyber incident, or breach.

“Organizations need to have a plan. That’s extremely important,” Sridaran said.

That starts with practicing what Sridharan refers to as “good cyber hygiene.”

For businesses, that encompasses several steps: use a secure ecommerce platform; deploy SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption; and utilize firewalls, multi-factor authentication and site backups.

“Don’t just have (employees) use a password to get into the system. Have them go through one or two more steps to make…it very difficult for the bad guys to penetrate your system,” Sridharan explained.

In addition to using lengthy, complex passwords, Sridharan recommends individuals stay away from “unfamiliar websites.”

“If it’s not a site that you know, don’t click on it,” he said. “If you’re not careful about the website that you go to, you stand a serious risk of getting breached, or your information stolen.”

The same theory applies to suspicious emails.

“If you don’t know who it’s from, don’t touch it.”

Sridharan noted ransomware — a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid — is currently one of the most pervasive problems in cyber security.

A 2016 report by Cisco Systems Inc. found that approximately 9,500 people pay ransoms to hackers each month.

“This is very prevalent these days. The average target pays $300,” said Sridharan.

“The most important thing you can do is have backups of your system at all times.”

Perhaps a silver lining to the influx of cyber threats is in the job market.

According to Sridharan, there’s a significant demand for cyber security professionals.

He estimates there will be approximately 2.5 million jobs in cyber security over the next two years.

“It’s a hot job market,” he said, “and it’s not going to go away for a long time.”

“There is no comprehensive cyber security solution on the horizon for the next ten years,” he added.

The symposium also featured a presentation on human trafficking online.

Pasco County Sheriff’s Corporal Alan Wilkett, who’s served more than 22 years as a public service official in Indiana, Ohio and Florida, said human trafficking transactions are becoming increasingly prevalent online.

Human trafficking encompasses forced labor, involuntary servitude, and commercial sex.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are approximately 20.9 million victims of human trafficking.

“Selling and auctions are all taking place online,” said Wilkett, a member of the Tampa Bay Regional Human Trafficking Task Force.

The transactions, Wilkett said, are taking place in what’s commonly referred as the dark web, which is only accessible through specific software, called Tor (The Onion Router).

“When you get on there, that’s where (traffickers) hold the online markets,” explained Wilkett. “It’s one of the most diabolical things I’ve ever seen.”

According to Wilkett, the average price for a human being is going for about $90.

“You go to India and you can buy three boys for less than the price of a cow,” he said. “Many of them are bought as child soldiers; some of them are smuggled into the United States and other countries.”

Published Oct. 19, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

Zephyrhills eyeing automated garbage collection

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Automated garbage collection may soon be a reality in Zephyrhills.

The city contracted with Kessler Consulting Inc. to perform an operational waste assessment and rate study for the city’s Sanitation Division.

Don Ross, director of operations for Kessler, presented the findings to the Zephyrhills City Council on Oct. 10.

Ross suggested the city — at some point — should consider moving toward automated trash pickup, which involves equipping city waste trucks with an automated arm to pick up and dump the contents of waste containers into the truck.

Cost estimates range from $15,000 to $20,000 for retrofitting two of the city’s existing trucks with automated rear load cart tippers. Additional side load and front load cart tippers may also be purchased.

The trash barrels, or standardized solid waste carts, would likely be provided to city residents, costing the city about $50 to $55 apiece.

Public works director Shane Leblanc said the city plans on providing 95-gallon solid waste carts and 64-gallon recycling carts to residents in the next fiscal year, once the city adopts a “hybrid” or “semi-automated” waste disposal approach.

“Our intent is to outfit some of our existing trucks to pick up the carts,” LeBlanc said. “We’ll have a mechanism on the back of the truck called a cart tipper, where the collection workers wheel the cart out, hook it up to the cart tipper and the cart tipper does all the manual work.”

If approved, city manager Steve Spina said semi-automated waste disposal would be phased in throughout the city.

“Some of the subdivisions would probably start with (automation) and then we could move into other areas,” Spina said.

During the presentation, Ross said automated collection provides several benefits, including a decreased risk of injury for sanitation workers.

“It improves safety, reduces employee injuries, improves collection efficiencies and preserves an aging workforce,” Ross said.

The U.S. Department of Labor ranks the solid waste industry as the “fifth-most dangerous occupation,” trailing only loggers, fisherman, pilots and roofers.

Last year, the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) reported 98 fatalities directly related to municipal solid waste collection, processing and disposal.

“This is a very, very dangerous industry,” said Ross, addressing the council.

Additionally, a transition to automated waste collection could result in major savings for the city.

The city’s annual operational cost for manual garbage collection is nearly $406,000. A cost analysis by the consulting company found the city could save nearly $88,000 per year shifting to automated collection, mostly by eliminating sanitation positions.

“The biggest savings is payroll,” said Ross.

Council Vice President Alan Knight said he’d first want a guarantee that there wouldn’t be any job losses among city employees, before a motion is made.

“I don’t want anybody to lose their jobs,” Knight said.

LeBlanc reassured the council that there wouldn’t be any job losses related to a transition to automated waste collection.

“We have no intent of anybody losing their jobs,” LeBlanc said, adding “we have all kinds of stuff for them to do out there.”

Elsewhere, Kessler Consulting’s operational waste assessment found the city’s sanitation division is a “well-run, cohesive operation.”

Moreover, the assessment found the sanitation division to have “high employee morale” and all equipment to be in “good working order.”

However, the consulting company suggested the city should perform a route and billing audit; focus more on route optimization and planning; and cross train drivers.

Kessler Consulting also recommended no additional rate increases for waste disposal service.

The city’s residential rate— including Pasco County’s disposal assessment— is $16.33 per household per month while commercial monthly rates (per cubic yard) are $6.49.

In other business, the city council unanimously approved the contract for Matthew E. Maggard to become the city attorney for the City of Zephyrhills. The contract requires the city to pay a minimum fee of $700 per month as a retainer. Attorney services are rendered at $125 per hour, and staff services are $50 per hour. Maggard, 31, is an attorney with the law firm of Hersch & Associates, P.A., in Dade City. He’s been serving the city in an interim role since Joseph A. Poblick stepped down from the position in July to serve on the Pasco County Court.

Published Oct. 19, 2016

 

Record 3-point shooter adds new challenges

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Justin Dargahi, a record-holding three-point shooter, has added a few new challenges for 2016 and beyond.

First: Turn around the struggling Gaither High girls varsity basketball program.

Next: Set the world record for most three pointers made by a pair, in one minute.

Dargahi — the Guinness World Record for the most 3s made from NBA range (23 feet, 9 inches) in one minute (26) — first hopes to bring some cache to the Gaither High’s girls basketball program.

It won’t be easy for the former Land O’ Lakes High girls head JV (junior varsity) coach.

The Cowboys—which went a combined 5-38 the last two seasons—have had six straight losing seasons.

Yet, that doesn’t deter Dargahi, who will be the program’s fourth head coach in six years, once tryouts begin Oct. 24.

“I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge,” he said. “I love proving people wrong.”

He relishes it.

“You have room to improve. If you take over a great team, what are you trying to accomplish?” he said.

“Hopefully, we can increase our win total a lot just this coming year alone.”

It will be tough, he acknowledged, considering Gaither High plays in a highly competitive eight-team district (Class 8A, District 8).

It’s one stacked with perennial prep powerhouses in Wiregrass Ranch, Plant, Freedom and Steinbrenner high schools.

“It’s hard to win and advance anywhere when you have four or five great teams out of eight,” said Dargahi. “Luckily, we have a good three weeks of practice before the first game (Nov. 15).

His blueprint starts with building around junior Janae Lyle, the team’s top returning player (7.6 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, 1.9 steals per game).

“It is a lot of specifying toward your players’ talents,” said Dargahi, a former basketball player at Cambridge Christian School. “I refuse to go into the first game not having specified positions.”

It also includes implementing a pressure man-to-man defense to help close out one-possession games.

“I love pressing,” he said. “I love getting steals, turnovers. That’s how you score points,” he said.

“I think the best (coaching) aspect is game management,” he added.

When not on the sidelines, meanwhile, Dargahi will be spending ample time at the three-point line. The new Gaither coach is teaming up with Teddy Dupay — a former Florida Gators basketball standout (1998-2001) and current boys basketball coach at Cambridge Christian School — to break the Guinness World Record for most three-pointers made by a pair in one minute.

The current record is 19, set by Harlem Globetrotters’ Cheese Chisholm and Ant Atkinson. The previous record (15) was set by NBA all-stars Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors) and Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks).

Though Dargahi hasn’t set an official attempt date, he figures it will “definitely be before Thanksgiving (Nov. 24).”

Dargahi, who claims he makes anywhere from 75 percent to 80 percent of attempted 3-pointers, said the feat largely boils down to each participant making 10 shots. It’s possible, he said, considering both his and Dupay’s shooting prowess. (Dupay ranks 10th all-time in Florida Gators history for career 3-point field goals made with 188.)

“We’re both very confident with our shooting,” Dargahi said. “The good thing about this record — both shooters have to be awesome. You can’t have one guy carry it.”

But the difficulty, he said, lies in get enough shots up in 60 seconds.

“I don’t even know how many shots we can get up, to be honest. I’m guessing 25 to 30, at the most,” said Dargahi.

The strategy, he added, will include court positioning — the wings or the top-of-the-key — and conserving energy across multiple attempts.

“I think we’ll at least try it for an hour, or an hour-and-a half,” Dargahi said.

Perhaps one aspect working in the duo’s favor: home court advantage.

“I’ve shot more balls at Cambridge than any other gym,” he said. “There’s a little bit of a comfort zone.”

Additionally, Dargahi has been approved by Guinness to attempt world records for most individual free throws in one minute (51) and most individual three-pointers in two minutes (44).

“The free throw one is tough,” Dargahi said. “I just tried it once just to see, and I didn’t even get up 51 shots. I definitely have to speed it up to shoot. If I could get up just 55 (shots), I like my chances.”

Published Oct. 19, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

Saint Leo player named preseason All-American

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Saint Leo's Marcus Dewberry (Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics)
Saint Leo’s Marcus Dewberry (Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics)

Saint Leo senior basketball standout Marcus Dewberry was named a preseason All-American and Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year by the Division II Bulletin.

After the 2015-2016 season, Dewberry was named a D2CCA (Division II Conference Commissioners Association) All-South region first team selection and an NABC All-South district first team selection.

Dewberry (19.7 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, 4.7 assists per game) helped lead last year’s squad to the NCAA South Region tournament. The Lions’ 2016-2017 season begins on Nov. 12.