We at FLN wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving . . . and if you are so inclined, a brisk shopping day tomorrow! The web site has a lot to be grateful this year.  Our metrics continue to rise . . . sessions, Twitter followers, FB likers, etc.!  The new format has met with plenty of positive comments and our transition to a reorganized team has also gone smoothly.  The quality of lacrosse at the high school level in the state, on both the Boys and Girls side, continues to impress.  We had exciting FHSAA playoffs on both sides.  We had another successful college season and two more Division 2 startup programs for the SSC coming.  Keiser nearly captured an NAIA title too, while Ave Maria made their first NAIA tourney appearance too.  The Florida Launch made the playoffs and look like MLL title contenders for the next several years. Which brings me to Brian.  Brian decided to go in another direction back in January and we will certainly miss him, as the founder of FLN’s predecessor Inside Florida Lacrosse he laid the groundwork for where we are now today.  It was his vision 8 years ago to give coverage to the lacrosse scene at the youth and high school level, serve as the spirit of the game, and helped to keep some of my more outlandish ideas and writings from seeing the light of day!     We had a great working relationship in that we could have a little fun with each other offline, and he was able to defend the honor of the Central and Northern regions while I was featuring the obvious superiority of the South. Brian was the driving force behind the creation of the FLN Senior All Star Games (and the initiative to add the Girls side was a particularly proud moment) and was also able to bring us the perspective of all sides of the lacrosse world, as he was a lacrosse parent himself as well as head coach of a high school program.  There’s not a lot of anything that he didn’t do for this sport in the state.     And 5 years ago he took a chance and allowed a former LaxPower poster to come over to his world and gave that person a platform to be creative in how the games were covered, and them some, and I thank him profusely for that opportunity.  He kept me out of trouble . . . well, most of the time . . . and I fell in love with the ability to write about the Florida scene. We at FLN are thankful that Brian’s vision for a local slant on covering the sport lives on and we will strive to keep to the same standards and vision that Brian started 8 years ago! Brian, good luck with your future and as always, should you decide in the future that you want to come back to us the door will always be open!  Lacrosse fever might go dormant for awhile, even a long while, but it never fully goes away!