The Georgia Call-Up: Riverwood's Ricardo Moreno

Riverwood senior Ricardo Moreno is this week’s Georgia Call-Up, and his impact goes well beyond the stat sheet. With 12 goals and 5 assists through 17 matches in the regular season, Moreno has been a driving force for Riverwood Boys’ Soccer, combining production in the final third with a relentless presence in midfield. His game reflects the influence of Luka Modrić, calm on the ball, sharp in his decision-making, and always in control of the tempo.

What stands out most about Moreno isn’t just how he plays, it’s how he carries himself. Coaches and teammates point to his leadership, energy, and consistency as the heartbeat of the team, the kind of player who sets the tone every day. The SDH Network caught up with Ricardo and community coach Adam Beckman to learn more about what drives him, the moments that shaped him, and the mentality behind one of Riverwood’s most influential leaders.

Ricardo Moreno Q&A:

Q: Who is a player you model your game after and why? 

A: I would say Luka Modric due to his passing ability and how he dictates the midfield no matter his age. 

Q: Who inspires you the most and why? 

A: My parents inspire me because they always pushed me on and off the field making me who I am today.

Q: What’s one thing people don’t realize about your sport? 

A: People don’t realize the amount of running and endurance it takes to play the sport. It’s not all about footwork. 

Q: Earliest soccer memory? 

A: Scoring in a final with my academy to help secure the trophy. 

Q: How would your teammates describe you? 

A: I would say they would describe me as determined, confident, and a jokester.

Q: How has been balancing being a student athlete? 

A: Balancing as a student athlete has been tough but with enough time and right people around you, it will be alright. It just takes time.

Q: Favorite memory with your teammates? 

A: I love every memory I had made with my teammates. The best one has to be winning region twice. 

Q: Where do you see yourself in five years? 

A: I see myself graduating tech school and being in the HVAC or stocking industry. 

Riverwood Boys' Soccer community coach Adam Beckman Q&A: 

Q: How would you describe Ricardo in one word?

A: Awesome

Q: What has it been like to watch him develop as a player and a person during your time?

A: Watching young people like Ricky develop is exactly why you want to coach High School. It is so rewarding. He has become such a great leader and role model for our program.

Q: How would you describe Ricardo as a player?

A: Ricky is the heartbeat of our team. He brings energy and enthusiasm every single day. His effort and his attitude really help drive our team.

Q: What does their work ethic look like when no one’s watching?

A: I think the one thing about Ricky that often goes unnoticed is how much work he does off the ball. That is something that some players try to cut corners on, but he never does.

Q: What makes them unique beyond the stats?

A: The energy he brings is second to none. He is often one of the smaller players on the field, but he wins most 50/50 balls, gets stuck into tackles, and he has always scored big goals for us.

Q: What do people outside the program maybe not see about them?

A: Ricky has been the best captain this program has had in a long time. He keeps the team together, makes sure people are doing what they are supposed to do, and he has done so much to create a positive locker room environment. For 4 years, the first thing Ricky does before training is walk around the locker room and greet all the JV players, and then he walks around and greets all his varsity teammates. The impact he has on others, just by being kind, is not something you can measure but everyone on the team feels.

Riverwood defeated the Coffee Trojans in a 5-0 shutout in the first round of the playoffs. This moves the Raiders to 13-5 on the season. They will face Rome next Wednesday.

The Georgia Call-Up, in partnership with the Georgia Student Finance Authority, is our statewide initiative spotlighting high school players that college coaches should know. If there’s a student-athlete who deserves to be seen, we want to hear about them.

Send submissions to soccerdownhere@gmail.com or DM us @soccerdownhere and for educational resources from GAfutures, visit https://www.gafutures.org/

The Georgia Call-Up is an original SDH Network series, produced in partnership with the Georgia Student Finance Authority. Every profile features direct interviews with the player and a coach or program representative, conducted by SDH staff. No aggregated content. No secondhand reporting. Just Georgia soccer, up close.