Augusta, GA

Best of the Gridiron: Top CSRA high school football athletes honored

Published

3 months ago

March 25, 2026

Best of the Gridiron: Top CSRA high school football athletes honored

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The latest edition of the Best of the Gridiron Awards show is in the books.

Presented by the Augusta Sports Council, here’s a full list of the high school football athletes recognized for their performances during the 2025 season.

GEORGIA — FIRST TEAM

Offense

QB: Mekhi Wade — Lincoln County
RB: Tamari Curry — Westside
RB: Kelby Glaze — Lincoln County
WR: Jayden Futrell — Harlem
WR: Jaris Sinkfield — Thomson
OL: Solomon Mathis — Hephzibah
OL: Carter Messick — Grovetown
OL: Bryan Sapp — Burke County
OL: Liam Thompson — Harlem

Special Teams / Flex

Athlete: Jack Rhodes — Aquinas
Kicker: Fortson Partridge — Lincoln County
Punter: Shelton Freeman — Westside

Defense

DL: De’Antre Charles — Westside
DL: TK Reeves — Burke County
DL: Marcus Taylor — Laney
DL: Jeremiah Wynn — Lincoln County
LB: Chase Burley — Westside
LB: Logan Heyward — Hephzibah
LB: Elijah Hutchinson — Aquinas
LB: Marty Thomas — ARC
DB: Kennedi Bailey — Thomson
DB: Brennen Bjorkman — Greenbrier
DB: Zay Brinson — Thomson
DB: Joshua Crawford — Westside

SOUTH CAROLINA — FIRST TEAM

Offense

QB: Xavier Geter — Midland Valley
RB: Michael Doe — North Augusta
RB: Preston Smith — Midland Valley
WR: Kyson McLeod — South Aiken
WR: Shaheed Williams — Strom Thurmond
OL: Carter Boatwright — Strom Thurmond
OL: Malcolm Gaston — North Augusta
OL: Damien McIntosh — Aiken
OL: Seth Short — North Augusta

Special Teams / Flex

Athlete: Kaleb Simpkins — Strom Thurmond
Kicker: Jacob DeGennaro — North Augusta
Punter: Knox Young — South Aiken

Defense

DL: Simeon Jones — North Augusta
DL: Davion McKinnis — North Augusta
DL: Brandon Poston — Aiken
DL: Keyaideen Williams — Silver Bluff
LB: Grayson Kitchings — Aiken
LB: Jalen McGraw — Bamberg-Ehrhardt
LB: Akiem Mills — Ridge Spring-Monetta
LB: Deonte Phillips — Strom Thurmond
DB: Donte Bell — North Augusta
DB: Jaiden Holloway — Ridge Spring-Monetta
DB: Mekhi Quiller — Fox Creek
DB: Dallas Williams — North Augusta

Along with the over 50 award winners, the event also recognized the nation’s top Division-1 and FCS college punters.

Georgia’s Brett Thorson took home the 2025 Ray Guy Award back in December.

The born and raised Australian punted 42 times during Georgia’s 2025 season, averaging 45-yards per punt.

“Obviously, Georgia is home for me. Obviously, I don’t have a hometown that I have any bias to, so since moving here, Georgia has been home for me. It’s an extreme honor to keep it, and to know Ray was from Georgia himself is a nice little bit of icing on top,” said Thorson.

The Citadel’s James Platte was awarded the FCS Punter of the Year Award.

An award that seemed way out of reach during his early playing days.

“It’s a dream come true. Growing up always seeing all the Ray Guy awards coming out of here, especially when I was getting into punting a lot heavier in high school. It was always an aspiration and if you told me six years ago I was going to be here, I probably would have called you a liar,” said Platte.

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Augusta, GA

10th annual Juneteenth Augusta Festival draws crowds despite heat

Published

5 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

10th annual Juneteenth Augusta Festival draws crowds despite heat

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The 10th annual Juneteenth Augusta Festival brought families to the Augusta Fairgrounds on Friday despite the muggy heat.

Cultural and community-focused events, live music performances and food trucks were available at the celebration.

Tonia Hill, attending the Juneteenth celebration, said she loves the holiday and is supporting the community, though she acknowledged the weather conditions.

“I love Juneteenth. And I’m supporting everybody. It’s hot. It’s hot. It’s hot,” Hill said.

The festival runs until 10 p.m.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta Dream Center sees surge in families needing food as summer begins

Published

15 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

Augusta Dream Center sees surge in families needing food as summer begins

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Dream Center is seeing more families turn to its food pantry this summer as children lose access to school lunches.

Organizations like the Augusta Dream Center see a surge in families who relied on school lunches during the academic year, according to Hallie Kohan, assistant director.

“We see a lot more families that have young kids who are in need that simply don’t have those meals they are normally getting,” Kohan said. “We see an influx of families that come through.”

Demand is up, but the food supply is not keeping pace.

“Right now we are having some food distribution issues so while we are seeing an increase in families, we are seeing a decrease in the amount of food coming through our doors,” Kohan said.

The center is asking the community to host food drives or donate kid-friendly items such as mac and cheese and oatmeal.

Every Sunday the Dream Center opens its doors for a hot meal, serving as many as 120 people.

“Families can come in and get their hot meal. They sit down, it’s dignified, it’s a diner,” Kohan said. “It’s a welcoming experience for kids to come in and not feel like they are in need.”

No paperwork is required to receive help.

“Just because you think someone is in a great situation, in today’s economy you never know,” Kohan said. “It could be your neighbor, mom, or best friend.”

The Augusta Dream Center food pantry is open Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon and Thursdays from 5 to 6 p.m. Hot meals are served Sundays from 5 to 6 p.m.

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Augusta, GA

Progress continues on James Brown Linear Park in downtown Augusta

Published

1 day ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

Progress continues on James Brown Linear Park in downtown Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Construction continues on the James Brown Linear Park in downtown Augusta, with ceiling tiles now installed inside the park structures.

The tiles feature designs showcasing the Godfather of Soul from different years in his career.

According to the city, the completed park will include an interactive water feature that will “dance” to Brown’s greatest hits. A statue of the music icon will return to a new stage at the park.

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