Augusta, GA
Aaron Rodriguez Named to Preseason Ray Guy Award Watch List
Augusta, Ga. – The Augusta Sports Council announced its preseason watch list for the 2023 Ray Guy Award, which honors the nation’s top collegiate punter in the FBS, and Lobo senior punter Aaron Rodriguez leads the list, and it’s not just because its listed alphabetically by first name.
The 50 candidates on the list incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) punters. The 2023 watch list was compiled based on the 2022 Ray Guy Award Semifinalist List, the top ten NCAA Punters from 2022, the 2022 All-Conference teams, the 2022 All-American Teams, the 2023 pre-season All-Conference Teams and eligible punters on the 2022 watchlist.
Rodriguez was a three-time “Ray’s Eight” winner in 2022, a season in which he led the nation in total punts over the course of the regular season. He averages 44.2 yards per boot on 81 punts, moving him into third on the career average list at UNM with a 43.5-yard mark. He had a long of 63 yards, banging 23 punts of 50 yards or more and forcing 35 fair catches with 24 punts inside the 20. Rodriguez averaged at least 42.5 yards per punt in nine of his 12 games and had two games where he averaged over 50 yards per punt. His best game of the season was against Boise State, averaging 50.9 yards per punt on 10 punts with seven punts of 50 yards or more in that game.
Rodriguez, who is also the teams’ holder, was a Second Team All-MW pick in 2022. A senior, he could return to the squad next year for his super senior COVID season as well.
The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens nominations on August 3. The complete list of candidates will be released on November 6th. In mid-November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semifinalists, who will be announced on November 10th. A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will then vote for the top three finalists to be announced on November 22nd. After the finalists are named, the voting body will cast ballots again to select the nation’s top punter. The winner will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN in December 2023.
2023 Preseason Watchlist
Aaron Rodriguez, New Mexico
Alex Mastromanno, Florida State
Austin McNamara, Texas Tech
Ben Kiernan, University of North Carolina
Brett Thorson, Georgia
Brian Buschini, Nebraska
Clayton Stewart, Wyoming
Colton Spangler, Maryland
Daniel Sparks, Virginia
Daton Montiel, FIU
Dom Dzioban, Miami (OH)
Eddie Czaplicki, USC
Ethan Duane, Old Dominion
Ivan Mora, Wake Forest
Jack Ansell, Purdue
Jack Browning, San Diego State
James Evans, Indiana
Jay Bramblett, LSU
Jeremy Crawshaw, Florida
Jesse Mirco, Ohio State
Jordy Sandy, TCU
Joshua Sloan, UTEP
Kai Kroeger, South Carolina
Kyle Ostendorp , Arizona
Lachlan Wilson, Cal
Laine Wilkins, Houston
Lucas Borrow, Ball State
Lucas Dean, UTSA
Luke Elzinga, Oklahoma
Mark Vassett, Colorado
Mason Fletcher, Cincinnati
Matthew Hayball, Vanderbilt
Max Von Marburg, Syracuse
Mitchell Tomasek, Eastern Michigan
Nick Haberer, Washington State
Nik Constantinou, Texas A&M
Oliver Straw, West Virginia
Oscar Chapman, Auburn
Peter Moore, Virginia Tech
Porter Wilson, Duke
Riley Riethman, Navy
Ryan Bujcevski, SMU
Ryan Hanson, James Madison
Ryan Rehkow, BYU
Ryan Sanborn, Texas
Seamus O’Kelly, Texas State
Stephen Kotsanlee, Utah State
Tory Taylor, Iowa
Tyler Perkins, Iowa State
Augusta, GA
WATCH: Gun comes out during fight at Butler High, video shows
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A weapon was seized by school administrators after the apparent gun fell to the floor during a fight between students Tuesday at Butler High School.
Parents were told of the incident in a letter.
“Two students engaged in a fight in a classroom today during a class,” the letter stated. “During the altercation, students saw a weapon drop to the floor.”
The Richmond County School System didn’t address what kind of weapon it was, but a video on Facebook showed what appeared to be a gun.
Administrators and Richmond County School System police responded immediately and secured the school for about 45 minutes while police investigated, parents were told.
The student was taken into custody and the incident was addressed following the Code of Student Conduct and Discipline.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
Police arrest suspect in Grovetown apartment complex shooting
GROVETOWN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A suspect has been arrested in connection to an apartment complex shooting in Grovetown, officials announced Wednesday morning.
Isaiah Bautista, 20, of Augusta, was located near Windsor Spring Road and Meadowbrook Drive, still riding in the suspect vehicle that was observed fleeing the scene of the earlier shooting, Grovetown Police Department says.
Bautista had a firearm at the time of his arrest and had multiple outstanding felony warrants through both Richmond County and Reidsville, Ga., police say.
Bautista was transported to the Charles B. Webster Detention Center on the outstanding warrants. Additional warrants will be secured by Grovetown Investigators for his charges regarding tonight’s shooting.
This investigation continues as investigators are working to identify the second suspect.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office assisted in apprehending Bautista.
The Grovetown Police Department says they received a 911 call Tuesday at 5:02 p.m. about a shooting at the 1000 block of Joiner Circle in Joiner Crossing Apartments in Grovetown.
Police Chief Jamey Kitchens told us he was on the scene around 5:34 p.m.
When officers arrived they discovered a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper chest.
Officials say the victim was conscious when they arrived and is in a local hospital in surgery. He does not appear to have life-threatening injuries.
He tells us two unknown males entered the apartment, and one of the suspects fired several rounds hitting the victim once.
Officials used local cameras and doorbell cameras to capture the suspects fleeing on foot to a nearby vehicle and exiting the complex.
One of the suspects was wearing a mask and both were wearing dark-colored hoodies.
Multiple people were in the home at the time, including an infant who was within a few feet of the victim when he was shot. No other parties were injured.
They have a loose vehicle description and several leads are being pursued, according to Kitchens.
The victim was not a resident of the home where the incident occurred.
Kitchens wants the community to know that there is no danger to the community and that this appears to be a targeted attack.
A witness said she saw 17 police cars on the scene around 6 p.m. and that it appeared officers were searching up and down some nearby railroad tracks.
Police were clustered around one apartment in particular. The door was open and crime scene tape hung outside the entry.
Around 6:30 p.m., police brought out a child car seat and a diaper bag. The significance of those items wasn’t clear.
The incident comes amid an outbreak of violent crime that’s claimed about 200 lives in nearly three years across the CSRA.
The crime outbreak has affected communities large and small, but as the biggest city in the region, Augusta has been hit especially hard.
Authorities have blamed much of the problem on gangs.
We are working to learn more information about the incident.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
Police respond to shooting at Grovetown apartment complex
GROVETOWN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Law enforcement officials are on the scene of a shooting incident at an apartment complex, according to the Grovetown Police Department.
No one was killed, and the victim was a male, according to authorities.
Officials say they responded Tuesday afternoon to Joiner Crossing Apartments in Grovetown.
Police Chief Jamey Kitchens told us he was on the scene around 5:34 p.m.
Kitchens says it appears the victim was upstairs on the balcony of the apartment and went inside after he was shot.
Several other people were inside the apartment – including an infant, according to Kitchens.
He tells us two unknown males entered the apartment, went upstairs and began shooting.
Through the use of local cameras and doorbell cameras, officials say they were able to see that the suspects left in a vehicle.
They have a loose vehicle description and are trying to run down leads, according to Kitchens.
Officials say the victim is in a local hospital in surgery and does not appear to have life-threatening injuries.
Kitchens wants the community to know that there is no danger to the community and this appears to be a targeted attack.
A witness said she saw 17 police cars on the scene around 6 p.m. and that it appeared officers were searching up and down some nearby railroad tracks.
Police were clustered around one apartment in particular. The door was open and crime scene tape hung outside the entry.
Around 6:30 p.m., police brought out a child car seat and a diaper bag. The significance of those items wasn’t clear.
The incident comes amid an outbreak of violent crime that’s claimed about 200 lives in nearly three years across the CSRA.
The crime outbreak has affected communities large and small, but as the biggest city in the region, Augusta has been hit especially hard.
Authorities have blamed much of the problem on gangs.
We are working to learn more information about the incident.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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