Trey Ridder lives his childhood dream BORN TO PLAY

DANIELLE STEIN | PHOTOS

impressive victory on the field to remember.

MERRICK DICARLOIS | REPORTER

Trey Ridder always knew he was born to play lacrosse. Even as a young kid, the sophomore lacrosse star knew he was going to start for the Oviedo Lions.

“I’ve always wanted to play for the Lions,” Ridder said. “I’ve lived here my whole life and Iwas alwayswatching them.”

Growing up in Oviedo, Ridder would watch Lions games as a kid and dream about starting for the orange and black. Now, he’s doing just that in ways his younger self never could’ve imagined.

After having 12 points in his freshman season, Ridder upped his game, already surpassing that number with 15 points in four games. Ridder is very proud of the recent success, but has still managed to stay humble despite it all.

“I love seeing my work and practice translate to my game, but I know that I still have a lot of space to grow,” he said.

Ridder is also a wide receiver for the Oviedo football team, who just finished a 10-2 season. But Trey Ridder isn’t only an athlete, he’s also one of the best- ranking students in Oviedo High School.

After finishing at the top of his class freshman year, Ridder has ambitions to be valedictorian of the 2025 class. Balancing football, lacrosse, and a rigorous school schedule isn’t easy.

“It’s a lot of hard work taking this many AP classes and playing two sports,” Ridder said. “It’s all about having a good life balance.”

The Lions started the season off hot, winning three out of four games, including a win against crosstown rival Hagerty, Ridder had four goals against the rivals leading the Lions to a victory over the Huskies.

Their first loss came the day after the Hagerty win, narrowly falling to Timber Creek by one goal. Despite the loss, the team is still on track to accomplish their goals.

Although, recently the Lions have been struggling – losing three in a row before ending their losing streak to the Winter Springs Bears. Ridder led the team to victory putting up six points in a 12-3 victory.

“We came into the season with goals and we think so far we’ve worked really hard and accomplished those goals,” Ridder said.

Trey Ridder is a hard worker on and off the field, and it’s paying off for the Lions in a big way this season – impressing fans of the sport, as well as his younger self.