By Gene Galin
PITTSBORO — With Northwood’s boys lacrosse team entering the final stretch of the regular season, head coach Randy Cox and senior standout Grayson Cox are focused on more than one rivalry game, one senior night or one postseason bracket. In the second part of our discussion, the father and son described a program built around energy, effort, execution, communication and family support — the same foundation that has helped Grayson become one of the Chargers’ top playmakers while preparing for life after high school. [part 2 of a 2-part series]
A rivalry week with a bigger message
The timing of our conversation gave it an unmistakable late-season feel. Northwood was preparing for another meeting with Seaforth, followed by senior night, and the Chargers were trying to sharpen themselves for a postseason run.
For Grayson Cox, the message going into the Seaforth game was simple: recognize the importance of the moment without letting it become too big.
“Tomorrow it’s a big game. We all know it’s a big game, but it’s just another game,” Grayson said. “We got to go at Seaforth with the most energy, but we got to go at every game with the most energy.”
That balance — emotional but controlled, intense but consistent — is one of the core themes Randy Cox has tried to build into the Northwood program. His shorthand for it is the “three E’s”: energy, effort and execution.
“You’ve got to bring energy, effort, execution,” Randy Cox said. “The boys have to figure out how to bring that for every game.”
Northwood entered the week with an 8-7 overall record and 3-3 conference mark, with the Chargers listed third in their conference as of the latest update. The team’s schedule includes a Friday home game against Seaforth and a Monday home game against New Bern, plus three other games, giving the Chargers a concentrated closing stretch before the postseason.
Playing all 48 minutes
Lacrosse games can turn quickly. A team can dominate possession for several minutes, lose a few ground balls, fail to clear the ball, and suddenly find itself defending under pressure. That is why coach Cox repeatedly returned to the importance of playing all 48 minutes.
“We try and focus on 48 minutes,” coach Cox said. “Play one quarter, play two quarters. OK, we played the first half. Great. We’ve got two more quarters to play and finish the game.”
The Chargers had already lived through both sides of that lesson. Coach Cox pointed to an early overtime loss against East as a teaching moment, then connected it to Northwood’s overtime win over Seaforth earlier in the season. That April 7 result was a 10-9 Northwood victory over Seaforth, with Northwood totaling 10 goals, five assists and 29 shots on goal.
Cox said the team’s ability to “put it away” against Seaforth came partly from experience gained earlier in the year.
“You learn from those situations,” he said.
For a team with playoff ambitions, that kind of growth can matter more than any single result. A roster learns how to respond to late-game pressure only by being placed in it. Coaches can simulate situations in practice, but real overtime carries a different weight.
The little white ball
If there was one tactical point coach Cox emphasized, it was possession.
“The little white ball and possession of that little white ball makes all the difference in the world,” he said.
That may sound obvious, but in lacrosse it is often the difference between a team that can control tempo and one that spends the night chasing. Ground balls extend possessions. Clean passes prevent turnovers. Faceoffs can determine whether a team plays from strength or spends the night under pressure.
Coach Cox’s phrase for the broader idea is direct: be great at the basics.
“You’ve got to be good on the ground balls,” he said. “You’ve got to go ahead and possess the ball, and you’ve got to be able to pass and catch.”
That emphasis is especially important for high school programs, where teams often feature a wide range of experience levels. A few skilled players can generate highlights, but playoff teams usually need every unit to handle routine plays under pressure.
Communication as a program habit
From the sideline, Northwood’s communication is hard to miss. Players talk through sets. Coaches call instructions. During timeouts, the team separates offensive and defensive groups so coaches can address specific situations.
Coach Cox said that structure mirrors the college game in certain ways. During timeouts, offensive coaches meet with offensive players, defensive coaches meet with defensive players, and the staff works through personnel, possession and situational strategy.
“There’s situational strategy that we’re trying to figure out,” Cox said. “What to do with the ball, who to put where, who to have the ball — all in an effort to try and maintain possession, get the ball in the box, and then set up our offense.”
On defense, the goal is just as clear: make sure the right players are on the field and communicating well enough to prevent breakdowns.
The Chargers’ current roster includes senior goalie James Flanagan, senior midfielder Grayson Cox, junior attacker Malik El Yosef, senior midfielder Joe Flynn, junior midfielder Eli Minges and junior midfielder William Boynton, among others. That mix of seniors and underclassmen helps explain why communication has become such a central part of the team’s identity.
Seniors carrying the culture forward
Coach Cox said the Chargers have roughly 10 or 11 seniors, and he views that group as responsible for more than its own final season. Seniors are expected to lead the program while they are still in it and prepare younger players to carry it after they leave.
“That’s who you rely on,” Cox said. “To take and carry the program moving forward, and then you also rely on them to teach the underclassmen how you want the program to be moving forward when they exit stage right.”
That is a significant responsibility for any senior class. It means a player’s final year is not only about personal performance or postseason memories. It is also about what the locker room, practice habits and team standards look like after graduation.
Grayson’s advice to next year’s team reflected that same theme. He said younger players have shown encouraging buy-in by staying after practice to shoot, but he stressed that improvement will require the same commitment in the offseason.
“It’s going to be a lot of work,” Grayson said. “That type of buy-in and that type of drive is what’s going to have to continue every single day.”
He urged returning players not only to shoot alone, but to work together — passing, bonding and building chemistry.
Grayson Cox and the confidence of the “zone”
Asked what it feels like to be “in the zone,” Grayson described a state familiar to athletes across sports but difficult to capture in words.
“It’s a crazy feeling,” he said. “There’s nothing like it.”
He called it “the zone,” “flow state” and, most of all, confidence. When he is playing that way, he said, the game slows down and his belief in his own ability takes over.
“You’re just playing the way that you know you can play,” Grayson said. “You feel like you can’t be stopped.”
That confidence has shown up in his production. MaxPreps listed Grayson as Northwood’s team leader in goals per game, assists per game and shots on goal, while also listing him with 49 goals among the Chargers’ stat leaders. Statewide MaxPreps points leaders listed him with 75 points, including 49 goals and 26 assists, placing him among the notable North Carolina boys lacrosse point producers for the 2026 season.
But in our conversation, Grayson did not describe his success as individual magic. He framed confidence as the product of preparation, experience and trust.
Players who have grown during the season
When asked which teammates had improved the most, Grayson quickly pointed to William Boynton, whom he described as a player whose field vision, composure and ball control had grown dramatically over the season.
“The way that he sees the field now, the way that he composes himself, controls the ball, controls himself, and where he is on the field — it makes a huge difference,” Grayson said.
Cox also mentioned Joe Flynn, noting the importance of defensive midfield play. Those roles rarely produce the loudest stat lines, but they often decide whether a team can survive against stronger opponents. Defensive midfielders have to handle matchups, win ground balls, clear the ball, communicate and make quick decisions in transition.
Randy Cox widened the answer, saying improvement had come not just from individuals but from units.
“Our defensive unit, close defense has gotten better,” he said. “Offensively, I think as a unit, our attack unit has gotten better. Our midfield unit has gotten better.”
He also credited Flanagan’s communication and lacrosse IQ as a stabilizing force for the defense.
“Communication’s key,” Cox said.
Faceoffs and hidden momentum
One of Randy Cox’s most specific observations involved junior midfielder Eli Minges and the faceoff X. Cox said Minges may have played one of the best games of his career against Orange, even though Northwood lost.
That is the kind of detail that can be easy to miss from the stands. A faceoff specialist may not always be the leading scorer, but his work can determine how many possessions each team gets. Against strong opponents, a few extra possessions can keep a game close. A few lost possessions can make a comeback nearly impossible.
Minges is among the Northwood team leaders in draws won, another indication of his importance in the possession game.
Cox said every unit — attack, midfield, defense and faceoff — would need to play at a high level for Northwood to make a postseason run.
“Everyone’s going to have to play at the top of their game in order for the team to be successful,” he said.
A father, a coach and a rare opportunity
The emotional center of the conversation came when I asked Grayson and Randy to imagine watching the video in 2040.
For Grayson, the first message was to his father.
“I just have to thank him,” Grayson said. “I hope that he looks at this years down the road and knows that I was forever grateful for everything that he has given me and constantly being my number one supporter.”
Randy’s answer reflected the perspective of a parent who knows how rare it is to coach his own child through meaningful high school moments.
“To my son, it’s been an honor and a privilege,” Randy said. “Not many parents get the chance to coach their kids. It’s been special. We’ve had some special moments. We’ve had some challenges.”
That honesty gave the exchange weight. Coaching one’s child can be rewarding, but it is rarely simple. There are boundaries to manage, expectations to balance and emotions that can follow both parent and player home after practice. Yet both father and son described the experience as something they would carry with gratitude.
The mother behind the athlete
During the conversation, I also made sure to make room for Grayson’s mother, whom Randy called “a rock star.”
“She’s there for all of our kids,” Randy said, naming Kennedy, Sydney and Grayson. “Through their collegiate careers and through their education … she’s constantly there for them.”
Grayson’s message to his mother echoed what he said about his father.
“She was my biggest supporter,” Grayson said. “If it wasn’t for her, if it wasn’t for Dad, I wouldn’t be the man that I am becoming and trying to be.”
Those comments placed Grayson’s development in a wider family context. Athletic success is often measured in goals, assists, wins and rankings. But behind many high school athletes is a network of rides, meals, encouragement, expenses, schedule juggling and emotional support that rarely appears in a box score.
Randy Cox said parental support is a major reason players get opportunities.
“Our program is a culture, and it’s the parental support,” he said.
Next steps after Northwood
Grayson wants to play lacrosse at the next level, but Randy Cox acknowledged that the college recruiting landscape has changed. He mentioned the transfer portal, NIL and the broader uncertainty surrounding collegiate opportunities.
“There’s some dynamics that are part of recruiting and just part of what is the collegiate experience,” Randy said.
The family is considering next steps, including the possibility of a postgraduate year. Cox said the goal is to find the right path for Grayson’s development and aspirations.
“If you’re committed and you do the things you need to do, reach for the moon and touch the stars,” Randy said. “Go get it.”
Grayson’s profile reflects his two-sport background. He is a senior, 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, playing varsity lacrosse as a midfielder/long-stick midfielder and varsity football as a quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back.
That combination helps explain both his athletic versatility and his leadership role. Football demands command presence. Lacrosse demands movement, vision and quick decisions. Together, those experiences have shaped him into one of Northwood’s most visible senior athletes.
A playoff reset
As our conversation closed, Randy Cox turned toward the postseason. He said Northwood had conference and nonconference games remaining, and the immediate goal was to win the conference games, stay healthy and prepare mentally and physically for the playoffs.
“The thing about playoffs once we get there is it’s lose or go home,” Cox said. “I love the playoffs. You never know what’s going to happen.”
The 2026 lacrosse state championships are scheduled for May 29 and 30 at Moretz Stadium at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory. For Northwood, the road to that stage will require the consistency coach Cox has preached all season: one game, one quarter and 48 minutes at a time.
“You close out one season, you reset, and the playoffs are a new season,” Cox said.
That idea is familiar in high school sports, but it is especially true for teams with uneven regular-season stretches. A playoff bracket does not erase weaknesses, but it can give a team a fresh sense of urgency. The Chargers have already shown they can win close games, lose tough games and learn from both.
A program shaped by Randy Cox’s lacrosse life
Randy Cox brings a deep lacrosse background to Northwood. He servces as the official timer for the Tar Heels’ men’s lacrosse program. A UNC men’s lacrosse record book identifies Randy Cox as the 1984 ACC Player of the Year and notes that he played on the U.S. team that won the 1986 World Lacrosse Games in Toronto.
That history matters because Cox’s coaching language is rooted in lived experience. He has seen lacrosse from the college level, the international level, the sideline and the parent’s chair. At Northwood, those experiences are filtered into high school lessons: communicate, possess the ball, master the basics, support teammates and keep standards high.
His message is not built on nostalgia. It is built on the belief that lacrosse can teach habits that last beyond the season.
The final weeks are about more than wins
Northwood’s late-season story is not only about whether the Chargers beat Seaforth, win on senior night or make a deep playoff run. Those outcomes matter, especially to the players who have invested years into the program. But the conversation with Randy and Grayson Cox showed that the larger story is about what a team carries forward.
For Grayson, this season has included confidence, production, leadership and gratitude. For Randy, it has offered the rare chance to coach his son while trying to build a culture that will remain after this senior class leaves. For the Chargers, the challenge is clear: bring energy, effort and execution for all 48 minutes, win the little white ball, communicate through pressure and enter the playoffs ready for a new season.
The next steps for our readers are straightforward: follow Northwood through the final week of the regular season, watch how the Chargers respond in postseason play, and pay attention not only to the goals but to the habits behind them. In the Cox family’s lacrosse story, the scoreboard matters. The lessons may last longer.
Watch on YouTube – Northwood lacrosse coach Randy Cox and son Grayson (part 2) – 4.23.26
00:15 Preparing for key lacrosse games with energy and execution.
- Emphasizing the importance of maintaining energy and focus in every game, not just big ones.
- Highlighting the need for consistent performance throughout the game’s duration, learning from past experiences.
02:28 Emphasizing basic skills and communication leads to success in lacrosse.
- Players must excel at ground balls, passing, and catching to maintain possession and execute plays effectively.
- Constant communication among players and coaches during the game is crucial for strategic execution and maintaining solid defense.
04:41 Leadership and confidence drive team development in lacrosse.
- Players are blending young talent with mature leadership to enhance overall performance.
- Confident players experience ‘the zone’, enabling them to perform at peak levels during games.
06:58 Grayson has significantly improved and filled a crucial role on the lacrosse team.
- His development over the season has resulted in enhanced performance on both offense and defense.
- Team dynamics have improved with better communication and contributions from individual players like Eli Mingz.
09:12 Grayson emphasizes dedication and teamwork for future lacrosse success.
- Players must continue their commitment through offseason practice for significant improvement.
- Grayson expresses gratitude to his father and reflects on personal growth for the future.
11:50 Emphasizing parental support and cherished moments in coaching his children.
- The speaker reflects on the honor of coaching his kids, emphasizing the importance of parental involvement in their success.
- Advice for future generations includes savoring childhood and recognizing the swift passage of time while valuing family support.
14:30 Grayson expresses gratitude towards his supportive parents.
- Grayson shares how his mother has been a constant supporter throughout his education and athletic journey.
- He discusses future plans and aspirations in lacrosse, highlighting the changing dynamics of recruiting in college sports.
17:02 Grayson aims for success as the team prepares for playoffs.
- Grayson is expected to excel in his future lacrosse career after high school.
- The team has four upcoming games, focusing on winning conference matches to prepare for playoffs.