The Land O’ Lakes Gators Athletics Foundation inducted five new members to the school’s athletics Hall of Fame during a dinner ceremony May 25.
The inductees for the 2017 class were: Allen Claggett Jr., a longtime varsity football and track coach; Desiree Croteau, a varsity softball pitcher in the late ’90s; Michael Keough, a standout three-sport athlete in the mid ’70s; Doug Hutchinson, a longtime athletics volunteer; and, Stephen Querns, the starting quarterback for Land O’ Lakes High’s first district football championship in 1978.
The ceremony marked the school’s fifth Hall of Fame induction class, which began in 2013 after the Gators Athletics Foundation was established as a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
William Floyd, a former NFL fullback and current color radio analyst for Florida State University football, was the keynote speaker for the ceremony.
The foundation’s purpose is to “raise funds through donations and fundraising events for the direct benefit of the athletic programs at Land O’ Lakes High School.”
Funds raised through the booster club are currently being allocated to build an athletic field house at the school, perhaps within the next five years.
Hall of Fame bios
Allen Claggett Jr. (Coach/Administrator)
Claggett moved to Land O’ Lakes in 1971 when Sanders Elementary experienced a hiring spree. There, he taught language arts and coached football for sixth-graders through eighth-graders. He joined Land O’ Lakes High in 1975, when it opened. He taught language arts and coached football and track until he retired in 2009. During his tenure, the Gators football program won 13 district titles, six conference titles, and made 17 playoff appearances. As head track coach, his teams won four district and four conference, and two county championships.
Desiree Croteau (Female Athlete)
Croteau (Class of ’97) excelled on the softball field as a pitcher, playing for former longtime Land O’ Lakes coach Jerry English. Croteau was named area player of the year in 1995 and 1997, and was a 1997 Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star. She later played softball at Saint Leo University and earned induction into the Saint Leo Athletic Hall of Fame. Croteau is now a corporal with the Tampa Police Department’s K-9 unit.
Michael Keough (Male Athlete)
Keough (Class of ’76) came to Land O’ Lakes High from St. Petersburg shortly after the school opened in 1975 after his father, Judge Lawrence Keough, was appointed to the Sixth Judicial Circuit in west Pasco County. Keough played football, basketball and track, earning All-Area honors in both football and basketball, including being named to the Tampa Tribune’s Class 2A, Section 2 All-Star Football Team as a first-team quarterback. He then earned an athletic scholarship to play football at Tennessee Technological University — the first student to do so from Land O’ Lakes High. He graduated from Tennessee Tech and earned a law degree from Stetson University. Today, he has his own law practice in New Port Richey.
Doug Hutchinson (Lifetime Service Award)
Hutchinson received the Lifetime Service Award for his volunteer efforts in supporting Land O’ Lakes High School athletic programs over the past 35 years. Over the years, Hutchinson has assisted the Land O’ Lakes Little League, Police Athletic League and the Land O’ Lakes Athletic Booster Club. He’s also acted as chairman for the local SwampFest event, sponsored by the LOLHS Boosters. While volunteering, Hutchinson was also a paramedic for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, earning recognition as Paramedic of the Year in 2009.
Stephen Querns (Posthumously Lifetime Achievement Award)
Querns was a standout both on and off the field. At Land O’ Lakes High, Querns played football and baseball, earning recognition on local All-Area teams for both sports. Querns also was starting quarterback for the school’s first district championship football team in 1978. Upon graduation, Querns stayed close to home to attend the University of Tampa on a baseball scholarship, later transferring to the University of South Florida where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. Querns eventually worked for Johnson & Johnson, where his medical design work led to 13 U.S. patents and several European patents. Querns died at age 37 from cancer. His research and design work in the medical field, however, continues to help others.
