Senior Lucas Dodge plays in a 2026 lacrosse game. Photo courtesy of RHS men’s Lacrosse
For many Riverside boys lacrosse players, music helps calm their nerves before a game.
Senior midfielder Aaron Montgomery listens to a lot of different artists to get ready to play.
“Drake, Westside Gun and Freddie Gibbs are some of my favorite artist to listen to,” Mongtomery said. “I feel like it helps me clear my head and just gives me the right mindset, helps me focus more.”
So far, it seems to be working. Accordingto MaxPreps he has 15 goals this season, which already surpasses his total from last year.
Senior Sebastian Cruz Valdez also uses music to keep calm.
“I feel like it just puts you in that mindset,” Cruz Valdez said. “It gets you locked in.”
Cruz Valdez is a 3 year varsity lacrosse player, he starts at midfield alongside Montgomery. The pair has combined to score 21 goals and notch 31 points through the team’s first seven games.
However some athletes take a different approach to focus before games.
“I like to take deep breaths,” sophomore goalkeeper Preston Russell said. “Stretching while taking deep breaths helps me feel every muscle.”
This is Russell’s second year playing lacrosse and first as a goalie. Despite his inexperience, he has accumulated 45 saves, with a save percentage of .385, which is 66th in the state and in the top 20 in the 7A division.
Captain Lucas Dodge also prefers silence.
“I just sit in silence or play wall ball,” he said. “Throwing the ball against the wall helps work on my passing, so I get my stick dialed in beforehand.”
Dodge plays attack for the Pirates and is the team’s leading scorer. He has 21 goals on the season and is aiming for 250 career points.
“I think I’m just over 200 right now,” he said.
The Pirates are currently 3-4, but the players believe “it’s just a rocky start.”
“We’ve lost some games because of some simple mistakes that we’re making,” Cruz Valdez said. “As long as we get the little things down, I think we could be a really good team.”
Riverside travels to Chapel Hill for its next game on April 14.
