The final few weeks of fall sports are here, with every competition serving as a chance to move up in the region standings. 

Playoffs are just around the corner, and with the stakes higher than before, many local athletes are stepping up and putting their teams on their shoulders. 

This week’s Athlete of the Week winners both hail from River Bluff and recorded big numbers in key region contests with only a few games to go. 

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. 

Hayden Myers

River Bluff football’s senior running back Hayden Myers had himself a game as the Gators won their first region contest of the season. 

Myers returned from an injury that caused him to miss last week’s game and ran in two touchdowns as the Gators defeated Chapin 33-7. It was his first game with multiple touchdowns this season. 

The running back is River Bluff’s go-to threat on offense. Last season he ran for over 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s on pace to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark again this season.

The Gators have two more games on their schedule this season. The team sits at (1-2) in the conference with games against Dutch Fork and Lexington left. 

With Myers back in the lineup, the team stands a stronger chance at adding to its win column. 

Caroline Tucker

River Bluff volleyball’s senior star Caroline Tucker helped the Gators clinch the conference title after an undefeated region season. 

Tucker is the team’s leader in kills and showed it last week, recording 30 across two region games. She had eight in a 3-0 win over Dutch Fork to go along with five digs and two aces.

She followed the Dutch Fork performance with one of her most productive games of the year, recording 22 kills and 30 digs in four sets versus Lexington. Both of those numbers are season-highs. 

Tucker’s play this year helped the Gators earn the top seed in the playoffs from their region. The team will have a bye this week before taking the court next Monday.