The trend of talented linebackers in the BCP area is continuing into 2017.

Largo’s Logan Doublin is a hidden gem for the Packers, especially when there’s two stars on the defense that get considerable amounts of attention.

Doublin impressed at the Ignite Showcase through quick instincts and being unflappable in one-on-one drills. He is very good at waiting for things to develop before he attacks. Maybe that’s why he compiled 126 tackles in 2016.

He did it in only nine games. Largo’s second week matchup against East Lake was cancelled due to Hurricane Hermine. Had they played that game, Doublin may have been towards the top of the Florida leaderboards in tackles. He led all of Pinellas County in tackles and was 25th in the state at the end of the season.

“I just fly around the field. Every time a play is called, you can bet that I’m going to be running from sideline to sideline trying to get in on the tackle,” Doublin said. Fly around he did, tackling the ball-carrier 19 times against Boca Ciega alone.

Again, this was only in nine games. Doublin had 62 more tackles than the next leading tackler for Largo, DE Bobby Roundtree. Roundtree is a Power Five target among a few Big Ten schools. Doublin is challenging his teammates to match his intensity. “Next season, we’re really going to need everyone out there to contribute and swarm to the ball.”

When your head coach is an ex-NFL safety, you’re getting some of the best training. Head Coach Marcus Paschal has coached Doublin since his entrance at Largo, three years prior. In turn, defensive backs and linebackers alike get good advice on and off the field.

“Coach Paschal is great,” Doublin said. “Everyday at practice, he runs around with us and the DBs like he’s just another kid playing on our team. He tells all the DBs stuff he’s learned from guys like Ed Reed and others he played with, so that’s really cool. He’s really taught me that school comes first and to surround myself with the right people and to keep my head on the right path.”

Those defensive back skills have rubbed off on Doublin, as he intercepted a pass against Seminole in the first week of the season. It was a clean interception, doing a great job of keeping his eyes on the quarterback through the whole play.

Paschal has nothing but good words to speak about his top linebacker.

“Logan’s an all-around great kid. I can definitely say that he’s one of the building blocks to the Paschal Era at Largo High School. His intensity for the game is something you really don’t see everyday. He’s gained a lot of knowledge to go with his athletic ability. Since day one, I knew he would be special for us, and he’s really just now starting to shine,” Paschal said.

Doublin sheds blockers really well. Combine that with being able to diagnose plays from the start, and you’ve got a special player at the linebacker position.

His contributions weren’t enough down the stretch as the Packers finished 3-6 after starting the season at 2-1. A loss against Boca Ciega put them in a must-win situation against Clearwater three weeks later. “We knew that Boca Ciega had a strong core of 2018 guys, and we knew they were going to be a strong competitor in our district. What really surprised me was Northeast. Last year, we beat them pretty soundly, and this year, we lost to them in the last game of the season,” Doublin said.

The Vikings surprised a lot of people with a 7-2 final record, finishing third in Class 6A-District 9 play last season. Largo was one of the victims of a revamped and reenergized team.

“There was some inconsistency in the offense that really hurt us,” Doublin said. “Our defense was definitely our strong point.”

Largo’s defense only gave up 17 PPG in 2016, allowing only St. Petersburg and Clearwater to score more than 30 points against them. They allowed the least points in 6A-9, but only scored the third worst amount of points on the season.

Doublin’s goal through the offseason is to pack more weight on, become leaner, and to become a leader of the ball-club.

Paschal’s nickname for Doublin, ‘Golden Boy,’ mirrors the way he shines through even the toughest of circumstances.

It’s like striking gold in a coal mine.