Caesar Rodney High football player Nate Waite was voted the State News Athlete of the Week. The senior linebacker/receiver has rarely left the field for the Riders this season. And when he suffered a minor injury, like he did in last Friday’s game with Sussex Central, he returned to finish the contest.

Waite leads the Riders with 80 tackles to go along with three interceptions and three fumble recoveries. On offense, he’s known as a tough edge blocker who has 17 catches for 300 yards and a touchdown. Waite is also a long snapper on punts.

“He is truly a pleasure to coach,” said CR coach Dan Candeloro. “He has been the leader on our defense for two years now and plays with the heart of a lion. He is a coach on the field and prepares for games like a coach.”

The Athlete of the Week is nominated and chosen by our readers. The nominating period starts at 2 p.m. on Friday and ends at noon on Monday. A voting period follows from 5 p.m. Monday through 5 p.m. Wednesday.

This process is performed exclusively online. When nominating an athlete, please include name, school and sport as well as a photo and brief description of why he or she deserves that week’s honor.

All nominations must be high school varsity athletes and come from high schools within Kent or Sussex counties. The winner appears in print and online each Friday.