VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (WTKR)- You'll find many high school soccer players who have been involved in the game since they were old enough to stand up. Grayson Brazukas is not one of those players.
"I didn't start like a lot of these other boys out here when they were three or four years old," he pointed out. "I started maybe when I was like 11."
Grayson tried a handful of sports when he was younger, but decided that being on the pitch fit him best.
"I was always a really athletic kid when I was young and I was moving between sports recently," Grayson recalled. "I guess I just tried it, wanted to do something new, and it just stuck with me."
Now he's making an impact for Frank Cox as a sophomore. This marks Grayson's first year with the Falcons, after transferring from Princess Anne, and he's found the back of the net for four goals so far, while dishing out two assists.
"He's only a tenth-grader, but when he's in good form and we have the ability to fuel him, it gives us the opportunity to kind of test him a little bit and so he's proven to be really, really valuable," said Cox head coach Santo Ripa. "We're happy to have him, truly."
"I've got teammates, some of them will probably be with me for a lot of years throughout my life," Grayson said of what he gets out of soccer. "It brings us together and it brings me together, especially since I'm brand new to the school this year."
Cox is coming off a state title in 2022. Grayson wasn't part of that group, but can feel that championship energy from his teammates.
"I do know that this team is very proud of what they've done last year," he noted. "That does put a very big target on our back for this season."
Now he hopes to get a championship of his own and help the Falcons to a repeat ring.
"If you ask any coach anywhere, they'd be crazy not to say they're chasing titles," Ripa said. "Coming off of a victory, it feels good, however, we have to hit a hard reset and we've got to go again."
"It's unspeakable to go back-to-back in both years," added Grayson. "If that's [accomplished], then that would be amazing for our school and our team."
Frank Cox suffered its first loss of the season this past Thursday, but were rolling until that point. They'll resume their schedule after spring break.
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