High school sports are back in Lexington County, which means it’s time to start awarding Athlete of the Week to two exceptional athletes, one male and one female. 

With football, volleyball, golf, tennis, swimming and cross country all going on, there are plenty of players worthy of the title. 

This week’s winners are from the Northside Christian football team and River Bluff volleyball team. They each played a crucial role in helping their squads start the season with a win. 

Voting for Athlete of the Week runs from 10 a.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Monday each week at lexingtonchronicle.com/athleteoftheweek. To submit a nominee for consideration, email a photo and short bio to sports@lexingtonchronicle.com.

BJ Suits

Northside Christian’s BJ Suits is a do-it-all player for the team. 

The senior plays on both sides of the ball, including as the team’s starting quarterback. His play in the Crusaders’ season-opening game helped the team defeat Greenwood Christian 21-20. 

Suits contributed in multiple facets of the game, including rushing, passing and defending. He helped account for all of the team’s scores in the game with his abilities as a runner and thrower.

There is still a lot of season left for Northside Christian. If the team wants to continue winning games, it will need Suit to keep up his play. 

Karis Kettering

River Bluff volleyball team’s quest to make it back to the championship game began last week. 

The Gators started the season with a win over Hough in the North/South invitational in Rock Hill, and Kettering was a big reason why. The event was a two-day competition that pitted the best teams in North and South Carolina against each other. 

River Bluff swept its match against Hough as Kettering led the team in kills. 

The Gators struggled in their following matchups, losing against Phillip Simmons, Legion Collegiate, Catawba Ridge and rival Lexington. 

River Bluff will have a chance to bounce back this week with a game against North Augusta. The team will look for Kettering to keep producing at a high level.