Every new season comes with new players, no matter what the sport is. 

Whether it’s a new player altogether or an experienced player taking on a bigger role, the beginning of the season can be a period of adjustment. 

This week’s Athlete of the Week winners are in their first season as regular starters and have taken very little time to get adjusted to their new responsibilities. 

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.

Jaxon Knotts

Jaxon Knotts has watched a lot of Dutch Fork football in his life, and now he has his chance to lead the team. 

The son of head coach Tom Knotts, Jaxon is in his first year as the team’s starting quarterback and helped the team get off to a 2-0 start this season after scoring the game-winning touchdown against Ridge View. Knotts kept the ball from 25 yards out and took off for the endzone. 

He finished the game 17-for-23 on his passes and went for almost 300 yards. He scored three passing touchdowns to go with the game-winner on the ground. 

It’s a solid start to the season for Knotts, who will look to lead Dutch Fork to its fourth straight state championship. 

Rylee Nates

Lexington’s Rylee Nates is in her second year with the Wildcats volleyball team. After seeing some action last season, she has taken on an increased role this season and emerged as one of the team’s key pieces. 

Nates had a big performance in the team’s win over South Aiken. She finished the match with seven kills, two blocks, two digs and an assist. The sophomore leads the team in kills and blocks this season. 

The win over South Aiken was huge for Lexington. The Wildcats have struggled recently, losing six of their past seven games before that. 

The team will lean on Nates and the other top players to adjust and get back on track before the region season.