Gary! Are You Serious? Pizza!?

...Hello!  I hope everyone had a nice weekend and for those celebrating, a Happy Easter!  Well, on a different note, winter made a little bit of a comeback here in Plattsburgh tonight.  Walked into my room and could have sworn in was mid-February.  I'm not going to complain though, the last two weeks have really given  me spring fever, and I knew karma was gonna get me when I posted Kenny Chesney's "Summertime" video on the last blog.  Oh well, anyways, lots to talk about in this one, as the Cards had a busy week facing North Country foe Clarkson, and of course playing the Red Dragons of Cortland this past Saturday...
...So after the long spring break, and the tough way in which we ended it, the team knew we needed a strong performance last Wednesday versus the Golden Knights to bounce back and gain some momentum heading into SUNYAC play.   After two great practices on Monday and Tuesday, the team was ready to go.  Clarkson is always a emotional and close game, and this year's was no different, as the game ended up being a real see-saw battle between the two squads.  After a half of solid defense from both squads, the Cardinals sat a goal down at halftime, 4-3.  The second half was more of the same.  We went on a nice three goal run to take a 6-4 lead, but the Knights climbed their way back into the game, eventually tying it up at 7 with only 3 minutes to play.  When the whistle blew and overtime began, the team had complete confidence that the game would be ours.  After a strong possession and some near misses, the goal finally came.  Dodging to his right and then rolling back, Senior captain Brett McClelland ripped a low-to-high blast in the upper right-hand corner, sealing the victory for Plattsburgh.  Although it was a non-league game, a win over a North Country rival always feels nice, and it gave the Cards some needed momentum and confidence as we headed into the weekend showdown with Cortland.  McClelland finished the day with a hat-trick, while Joey Kramer netted 2 of his own, and Timmy Lawrence,Tom Duggan, and Brendan Damm all added a goal of their each...
...Sitting at 8-1, the team, after nearly 2 months of practicing and playing non-conference games, was finally at the moment everyone was waiting for.  SUNYAC play was on, and if you ask any player of the program, they can tell you that there is just something different about the conference games.  The added intensity, physicality and overall emotion involved in the games makes them special and creates an "anything can happen" type of play.  The team, after another two solid practices, was ready and set to make history.  For quite some time, Cortland has been the bully of the SUNYAC's, and Plattsburgh has never beaten the Red Dragons...
...We felt, however, this year we could change that trend.  Talented, healthy, and determined, we were ready to face the #1 team in the nation.  The game setting was perfect; sunny, 55 degrees, an Awesomeee home crowd (probably the best I've seen in my four years here) and the #18 team versus the #1.  The whistle blew and Cortland jumped off to a fast start.  Up 5-1 only ten minutes into the game, we refused to let up.  With the advantage of a two-minute non-releasable penalty, we climbed our way back into the game.  Both teams delivered blows to the opposing defense, and the crowd in attendance got to witness a great battle.  Another back-and-forth game led to a tied score at halftime, 8-8.  The offensive pace slowed down, and with only 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the game was tied at 11.  Cortland, however, was able to go on a four goal run in the remaining ten minutes, converting on some transition opportunities and successfully playing keep away from the Cards as we desperately tried to make a come-back.  We made it a three goal game with just under two minutes left, but time was not on our side.  Huge day from a few players, as Joe Kramer finished with 4 goals, Timmy Lawrence with the hat-trick, Tom Duggan with two of his own, and Brett Mcclelland, Brendan Damm, and Nick Travers (who also had an awesome day at the face-off X) all finished with a goal each...
...A loss never feels good, but I think I speak on behalf of everyone, from the players to the fans, when I say that this game proved that this team is for real.  Although we fell a few goals short, we showed to ourselves and the rest of the lacrosse community that our team is talented, gritty  and can run with the best of them.  With the win over Clarkson and the close game against Cortland, the Plattsburgh Cardinals were yet again ranked in the Coaches Poll Top 20, moving up to the 16th spot!  A huge accomplishment for a young program, and our goal is to remain in the top 20 throughout the rest of the season.  We realize, however, that we now sit at 0-1 in the conference, and that we can not slip up in any upcoming conference games.  Our goal is to earn a home playoff game, and in order to guarantee that, we have to win every league game from here on out.  The competition will be tough, as SUNYAC play seems to be up this year, but we're confident we can get the job done.  First up this week is our last non-conference opponent, St. Lawrence.  Another team we have yet to beat and a North Country rival just like Clarkson, we want this win real bad.  I've lost to this team in OT and twice in real close battles, so more than any other non-conference game, I gotta get a win versus this team my senior year.  Huge thank you to all the parents that came up and helped with the tailgate, awesome as always, and another THANK YOU to the crowd that showed up Saturday to support us.  Hearing everyone supporting and cheering us on really added to the game, and without a doubt helped us when we were down early on.  I hope everyone can make the Wednesday game, and if not, can hopefully catch us at Oswego this Saturday at 1 p.m. as we look to even up our conference record.  Have a good week everyone...

And by request of midfielder Tom Duggan, here's a little taste of the 90's to get over that mid-week hump...

Celtic Pride

...Well, we have a lot to cover in this one, eh?  If you're confused about the title by the way, just ask anyone on the team and they'll all tell you its there new favorite movie.  There's a great chance this could be quite lengthy, so I apologize in advance.  I know I said I was going to attempt to keep up with the events and games of the team and make these blogs short and sweet, but this season is really non-stop with games, especially with this spring break week just behind us.  So we left off last time with your Cards being ranked 19th in the nation as we arrived in the city of Baltimore...
...As we woke up to the good news, the mood only got better when we gathered to head over to the aquarium in the Baltimore Harbor.  Although it seemed we had brought some North Country weather with us, we were pumped to head to the harbor.  Personally, best part of the Monday's trip was satisfying my Chipotle addiction, and for those who say Moes is better, well, you're wrong.  After lunch, we headed to the aquarium where we were able to see all sorts of marine life, from sharks too coral reef.  Favorite part of the aquarium for the majority of the team had to have been the dolphin show.  Pretty impressive stuff.  Oh, and they absolutely drenched Timmy Lawrence and Charlie Dullea at the very end.  Always a positive.  After the aquarium, the team went to dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe.  First time there for me and I was pretty impressed, good food and cool atmosphere.  Anyways, team headed back to the hotel and prepared for the next day...
...So the Tuesday of spring break was definitely one of my favorites.  This may come across as a surprise but  the best part was practice.  Coach Cavanagh wanted to make sure we were prepared for Conneticut College on Wednesday, so he managed to get us two hours to practice at  Maryland University at College Park which is an awesome campus.  We practiced on the football/lacrosse practice field, but the Capital One stadium was just behind us, and that was an awesome sight.  After a quality, and warm (finally) practice, the team traveled to Tyler Forsyth's house for dinner, which he and his wife, Gail, put together for us.  It was an awesome meal and it meant a lot to us that an alumni would help out the current squad like that.  Safe to say in five years I probably won't be serving 50 collegiate lacrosse players dinner at my house (most likely my parents' house still, who am I kidding).  So a big thank you to the Forsyths for the dinner from the entire team...
...Wednesday was game day, and one of the biggest of not only our season, but our program's history.  #19 versus #17 Connetticut College, a top tier team of the highly competitive NESCAC conference.  On top of all this, we were playing at historic Homewood Field, the home of the John Hopkins Blue Jays.  The game lived up to the hype for sure.  Down early 1-0, the team fired back with goals from Tim Lawrence and Joey Kramer.  At half, we held a 4-3 advantage, as the game was shaping up to be a defensive battle.  After a few back and forth goals from each squad, Brendan Damm sealed the 7-5 victory with a late goal in the fourth.   Lawrence finished with three, while Kramer, Brett McClelland, Damm, and Tom Duggan all had one goal a piece.  Not to take any personal credit, but a strong and discipline defensive effort was essential to this win, and our overall team effort allowed the Cards to come away with a huge victory for our team and program...
...The following day, the team went off to the Washington D.C. to check out the Zoo.  Who doesn't love the Zoo, right?  Well, the Zoo managed to take up most of the day for the team.  I actually couldn't make it, but from what I heard, the gorillas were the best part, as they were supposedly eating their own vomit (sounds like I missed a good one).  For dinner, we went to the beautiful establishment the Golden Corrall.  I love this place, and for one main reason; endless food.  I've managed to establish myself as the human disposal among the housemates, so buffets are always welcomed in my book.  The following day, the team got a two hour practice in and began to prep for the big match-up versus Mary Washington at their home field on Saturday...
...Well, Saturday, as you will tell from my brief description of it, was a day to learn from the negatives and put it behind us.  No excuses to be made, we just came out flat.  Poor team defense, some sloppy offense and some other mental errors led to a poor result.  We ended up losing 12-8, but it felt more like 15-0.  The perfect season was lost, but, the season for us was just beginning.  We hit a bump, but we knew we could turn things around as conference play lurked in the background...
...After a nice 11 hour bus-ride...you know, to really let the loss soak in...we arrived back at the nest.  Overall, it was a pretty successful spring break with an unfortunate ending.  We knew we had a big week ahead of us with Clarkson and Cortland coming into town.  We always take pride in defending the nest, and these two games are some of our biggest rivals.  I'm gonna cut it short here, for your eyes' sake.  I'll post this weekend after the Cortland game.  I know we had a game yesterday but I'll include the rundown of Clarkson in the next blog (spoiler: OT win).  Well, the team is in the thick of it now.  From here on out, its a must win for the Cards, as every game has either conference playoffs or an at-large bid into the NCAA's riding on them.  Thank  you to everyone and anyone that made our spring break as successful as it was.  From the activities too the tailgates, even 800 miles away we have an awesome fan-base.  Well, I hope everyone can come to the conference opener versus Cortland, should be one to remember, and if not, have a great week and god Cards!

Although I am getting ahead of myself, the weather in the Burgh this week has definitely made me eager for some summer...

A Little Catch Up...

...Keeping up with this blog was going to be a challenge for me; I knew this going into it.  However, spring break has definitely offered a new level of difficulty to the task of being the team blogger.  From the traveling, hotel internet failing me, and the all around activity level of the team, the week has been a difficult one to blog on.  I've had a draft sitting on my computer for the last week which I've been chipping away at and I decided that I'll fill everyone in on what happened before the start of this week which I haven't talked about yet.  At the end spring break, I'll post everything we did this week, from the activities to the two games we played.  So let's get into it...

...First, we had our game versus Morrisville last Wednesday at the nest.  Morrisville is a team that has been getting consistently better every year, and we know they could be a real challenge if we came out flat.  However, we did quite the opposite, stopping two early man-down situations and then letting our offense do the rest, with a final score of 17-1.  The offense was once again led by our attack, with Joey Kramer finishing the day with an impressive 5 goals, while Brendan Damm and James Higgins each had 2 a piece.  Midfielders Nick Travers and Brett McClelland each had two goals as well.  Congratulations to freshman Andrew Duque who scored his first collegiate goal of his career.  Defense played stellar again, sadly losing that shutout again in the last minute of the game...

...After another successful win, the team got two more quality practices in.  The condition of the second practice, which was windy and snowing the entire time, paid off as we arrived to Western Connecticut for our game Saturday night.  Conditions were exactly what we were use to, snowing and cold, and as we expected, it didn't slow us down at all.  The team jumped out to an early lead and didn't look back.  Brendan Damm and Joe Kramer each had four goals, while Brett McClelland, James Higgins, and Brendan Cefalu finished with 2 goals.  Another freshman had his first collegiate goal of his career, Matt Renko, coming in the second quarter.  Overall, the team played exceptionally well, with weather conditions and a long bus drive that day against us, the team managed to come together and put together 60 minutes of quality lacrosse...

...After the game, the team was able to head home to Long Island, where players either stayed the night at their house, or for the upstate folks, were able to stay over another player's home.  On Sunday afternoon, we all met up at a restaurant/bar called Shananigans in Kings Park out on the Island and was able to enjoy a nice lunch, filled with cornbeef and cabbage, Irish Soda Bread, live Irish music, and some of the best wings I've ever had.  The lunch was a great success and a great opportunity to get players, families, alumni, and fans together on St. Patrick's Day.  The parents once again put on a great raffle, giving out some great packages families donated to help raise some money for the team.  After a few hours, some eating, talking, and raffling, the team said their goodbyes and thank you's to the parents and friends, and we were back on the road heading down south....

...Three and a half hours later, we arrived to our hotel in Baltimore and settled into our rooms.  It was pretty late when we got in, so the team ordered some pizzas and called it a night.  The team had a busy day planned out for Monday, with a full-day trip to the Inner Harbor.  One thing I HAVE to mention is some great news the team woke up to Monday morning.  The coaches poll for March 18th came out and for the first time in program history, your Plattsburgh Cardinals cracked the Top 20.  Ranked 19th in the nation, this was a major achievement for not just the current squad, but for the program in all.  Every year this team has been working to get better and build a stronger program, and this achievement marks a major step.  By next week, I'll be sure to catch everyone up on the events of this week.  I would mention the first half now, but the blog would be a little to long, so this is just a way to break it up a little.  Be sure to check out our twitter account to see when that will be posted next week, as it should be a good one filled with aquarium trips, results of two massive games, and all other trip activities the team does this week.  A big thank you to everyone that came out to the lunch on Long Island, or has come out to the games down south this week.  Even while we are hours and hours away from our homefield, you guys do an awesome job getting fans to the games and helping out with the tailgate and overall supporting the team.  Hope everyone has an awesome week and Go Cards...

We are in the South, soooo here's another country song to get you through the week...

Enjoy

Getting There...

...While we are only four games into the season, it looks as if the team is definitely starting to come around.  Although we know we have areas to improve on, another impressive win this past Wednesday versus Norwich has the team building some nice momentum as we head into the middle of our non-conference schedule.  The final score from Wednesday's game was 14-2, and although the game got off to a slower start than we would have liked (1-0 at the end of the first), our offense eventually began clicking and didn't look back.  The offense was led by Brendan Damm, who finished the day with four goals and one assist.  Freshman James Higgins earned his first points as a Cardinal as he netted two goals and added one assist to finish with three points.  Senior Ryan Hastings added two goals of his own, while Brett McClelland, Nick Travers, Anthony Pafundi, Anthony Tralongo, Cole Anderson, and Tom Duggan all finished with one goal each.  Although the play was slow to start, the team did a great job staying focused and running our system offensively.  Defensively, the team did an awesome job shutting down any opportunities Norwich had.  It was sad to see the shutout slip away, as Norwich scored their first goal with only 5 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but overall, no one could complain about the way the D played...

...Our next game is this upcoming Wednesday versus Morrisville at 4:00 p.m. at the Fieldhouse.  Morrisville is always a tough and gritty team who gives us a challenge every time we play them.  No game this weekend means we have some extra time in practice to prepare for the upcoming game next week.  With a little extra time off, we were even able to switch things up today.  After a shortened practice, the gridiron stars of the past were able to relive some high school memories as we ended early to play some small sided football games.  Watching from the sideline (due to an injury), it was hilarious to watch the inner child of everyone come out as the days of backyard football games came back to everyone.  I witnessed at least four Ray Lewis pre-game entrances, and the pure excitement from playing some pick-up football was definitely a sight to witness.  The talent pool varied to say the least.  From my view, I think I have to give out the MVP from the game I was watching to either junior midfielder Anthony Pafundi, who had a handful of td's and was going all out to say the least, or Freshman midfielder Qusarn "Q" Caldwell.  Aside from the few bombs he threw, which were impressive, the play that most impressed me was his run that made a junior on the team, who will remain nameless, look foolish as he whiffed on the tackle attempt...

...The little football game gave us the chance to lighten the mood a bit, but we were back at it working hard at 8 a.m. practice today.  Scrimmaging for the most part, we were still focusing on polishing aspects of play on both the defensive and offensive ends of the field.  I hope that everyone can make it to the game on Wednesday.  We always appreciate anyone and everyone that can make it out to these home games which we know isn't always easy, especially during the middle of the week.   Well, the next few days promise to bring some warmer weather in the region, so I hope everyone enjoys the weekend and as always, I'll leave you with a little country tune...

There's an old saying...

"It's not how you start, but how you finish"...Well, this may be true, but if you ask me, just because you start well, doesn't mean you can't end well.  The team is definitely starting well this year after our first week of games has come to a close and we are sitting at a nice 3-0 record.  Our first game last Wednesday, versus RPI, had a final of 7-5 in favor of the Dirty Birds, and this past weekend we finished strong versus Farmingdale, 16-6, and FDU 20-10.  Each win had different key players and brought our team one step closer to reaching our potential, which we know we haven't hit yet.  Now lets take it game-by-game shall we...
...The first game is always one filled with a little added jitters and butterflies in the player's stomach, especially for those playing their first collegiate lacrosse game.  After waiting four weeks to get to play a game, the team's emotions were at an all-time high as we were eager to get the season rolling.  Luckily for us, the rain and snow held out, and for a February night in Albany, the conditions were perfect for a season opener.  From the get-go, we knew this was going to be a great test.  RPI is always a well-polished team, and their first possession almost led to an early goal.  However, our defense stiffened up, and held the RPI offense to only 5 goals and minimal quality opportunities.  Offensively, the cards got going starting with goals from senior captain Brett McClelland and senior Joe Kramer.  Brett and Joey both finished with hat-tricks, while Brendan Damm rounded off the scoring with one.  The game was definitely a great way to start the season, and gave the team some needed confidence as we prepared for a long weekend...
...Farmingdale is always a scrappy and hard fought game.  We know every year they circle us on their schedule and they are looking to come away with a W.  Discipline and playing our game would be essential if we wanted to win, and that's exactly what we brought.  The first half was closer than we wished, with the score 4-3 in our favor.  The second half we came out flying, and after a quick goal by the Rams, we began to pull away with the win.  Offense was led by our attack unit, as Damm, Lawrence, and Kramer all finished with three goals each.  Shout out to Brady Helmer for his first goal as a Plattsburgh Cardinal.  Top to bottom, it was a great game.  Best part, we were home on beautiful Long Island, so the crowd was filled with friends, family, and alumni of the past supporting us.  We were able to head home for the night which is always a nice benefit of playing on the island.  I think its fair to say the upstate boys are alwayss impressed with all that L.I. has to offer...The next day, at Town Hall in Hicksville, the parents and families put on an awesome dinner and raffle to support the team.  The spread was impressive to say the least, and it was great to get the cardinal family together and meet the new parents and families of the program.  I'll probably repeat this multiple time throughout the season, but our programs parents and families are the best around.  We get spoiled for sure, but they do a great job in making this team of 50 players, into a family of hundreds...
...After a bus ride to New Jersey and a nice stay in the Madison Hotel, we finished our long trip with a dominant win against FDU, in which we were able to get everyone some playing time.  To say we came out to a fast start is probably an understatement, as the score at the end of the first quarter was 10-1.  Brendan Damm led the way with 4 goals, while Tom Duggan and Cole Anderson scored their first goals in Cardinal red, and Brendan Schecker netted 2 for his first collegiate points.  After a tailgate, we boarded the bus and began our venture back to the Burgh, which went surprisingly fast.  On a sidenote, I suggest the movie Argo, great watch even on a bus...
...Tomorrow we face Norwich at the Fieldhouse here in Plattsburgh with the opening faceoff set for 4p.m.  It will be another nice non-conference challenge for us as we continue preparing ourselves for SUNYAC play only a few weeks away.  Hopefully we can get a large crowd together for our home-opener, which would be nice after a long road trip this past weekend.  I'll be sure to post another blog after the game tomorrow, but until then, have a nice day and go cards!

I'll leave everyone with a team favorite....or at least a favorite of the country fans on the team....

It Won't Happen Again...

Alright, I guess I can start off by apologizing for the lack of posts during the past few weeks.  I would like to say that my absence of writing is due to the overload of school work, but I'll save that excuse for a later time...in honesty, time kind of just caught up with me.  It happens every year, four weeks of preseason seems like an eternity from the beginning.  Nothing but a month long of practices with running, lifting, pressure grounders, bowdoin breakouts, more pressure grounders, cold weather and some more pressure grounders.  But, as always, time flies and finally, we get to test our skills and preparations against someone other than ourselves this week...

...The preseason went as most do.  Shaking off the rust and getting back into the flow of things, a few days into practice we were able to really get rolling.  Obviously, the first practices won't be perfect, and there's always a little adversity to deal with.  For any alumni out there, I think it's fair to say one of the biggest is the weather and the dreaded gym when weather doesn't permit us from getting out on the turf.  Personally, there's a love/hate relationship with the gym.  When it's 10 degrees out and windy, the last thing you want to do is run around on a field and get smacked with a metal pole.  However, after a few drills in the sand-covered gym, a part of you wishes you were outside.  In a perfect world (called Florida) it would be 65 degrees and sunny out in February, but that's a tad unlikely for good ole' Plattsburgh.  Anyways, for the last 2-3 weeks, we've been able to get outside and really get the ball rolling.  Working on game-like situations, 6v6, and full field scrimmages, we have been able to incorporate team philosophies and work on our chemistry both offensively and defensively.  With only two more practices left until our first game this Wednesday at RPI at 4:00, the next few days will be really important to put in those last pieces to make sure we're ready to go...

...The whole team is itching to get going and play in a game.  A month of drills, conditioning, and hard work has everyone ready for the opening faceoff.  Our first game, which is at RPI, will be a nice non-conference rematch from last year's game, which the cards won 9-7.  RPI is coming off of a season of highs and lows, as they had victories versus some top teams in the nation, but loses against weaker opponents left them out of the playoffs for 2012.  Fair to say, as a team that is often in the running for top 20 in the nation, RPI will be ready to go when we arrive at their place, especially after they lost their season opener this year in OT.  For us, we're looking to get off to a fast start and keep going.  We have a very challenging schedule this year which, with the addition of Stevens Tech game for March 9th, includes four Top 20 teams.  We know we have a ton of talent, most of it returners as well as some key new players, and we're eager to prove that this year will be one to remember.  We're taking this season one game at a time, and it starts with RPI this week.  I will do my BEST to update this blog as often as I can, and post updates and game reviews at least once a week.  If anyone has any suggestions or ideas they would like to see on the blog, please let me know.  On that note, I hope to see everyone there this Wednesday supporting your Plattsburgh Cardinals!

For anyone looking for some quality Monday night t.v., I suggest watching this mini-series on NatGeo...tune in at 10:00 p.m...God Bless our Troops

                                                                          

New Year...Same Goal

...Hello Plattsburgh family!  I hope everyone had an amazing holiday season and a happy New Year! Crazy how fast it comes and goes, and for us students, it really makes our relatively long break go by way too quick, but I know everyone is excited and ready to head back to the nest to start our 2013 season...
...There isn't too much to mention in this post, so it won't be a long one.  First, and I know it's late, I wanted to make sure that if anyone wants to order team gear, that goes for family members, friends, hell maybe even a co-worker, the order forms are due January 20th.  I know the link has been posted through our twitter account, but if you would like to or are interested in purchasing any of the sweats, shorts, or shirts, you can go to Lacrosse Team Gear, then head to team apparel and click on the Plattsburgh logo from there.  If you have a twitter account and you follow the team account, there's a direct link there.  So if you're interested, hurry up!  Times running out and we have some awesome gear this year...
...Secondly, after multiple attempts, Coach Cavanagh has set up the first annual Plattsburgh Men's Lacrosse team golf outing for this summer.  I know a lot of the kids on the team talk a big game when it comes to golf, so this is a great time to prove your skill and help support the team and its future.  Players were given pamphlets with specific information about the event and here's a link to it... Golf Outing Pamphlet... but just for some general information, the outing will be at Crab Meadow Golf Course, in Northport on beautiful Long Island.  I know this is a commute for some of you upstate players and fans, but I promise it will be worth the drive!  The event is set place to take place on August 12, with a 7:30 a.m. start! ...
...Well with the season upon us in only a few weeks, the team and myself couldn't be more excited to finally get going.  The schedule is up on the website, you can view it here 2013 Team Schedule ... In my four years here I can honestly say that this is the most competitive schedule we have faced and that's exactly what we needed to prepare ourselves for the conference games we have.  By facing challenging teams such as RPI, Connecticut College,  Mary Washington, Clarkson, and other non-conference foes, we can prepare ourselves for the games that will get us into the playoffs and the SUNYAC championship where we plan on being this spring.  With the amount of talent this team has and the work ethic we've shown, the potential we have is awesome, but we know talent alone won't achieve our goals.  It's definitely bitter-sweet that this is my last season playing, but I'm looking forward to finally get going and playing with the team and getting to see everyone at the games and tailgates....
....On a side note, I just drove 10 hours down to North Carolina with my friend Mike Regan, aka our self-proclaimed #1 fan for the last 3 years, to visit the Ritz-Carlton of College, High Point University.  In honor of the southern culture, and the fact I'm going to his concert next week, here's a personal favorite by Corey Smith, an awesome country singer from Georgia. See ya'll soon...