Augusta, GA
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.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The South Augusta YMCA will not renew its lease at the Tobacco Road location, the Y confirmed.
The shopping center is being sold, and the current lease ends in October.
The Y has not announced a final day at the current location. Officials said they plan to announce that date and next steps for South Augusta later this month.
The YMCA said it still plans to serve South Augusta after the lease expires.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A man who was previously wanted for questioning in an Augusta deadly shooting has now been charged with murder in the case, according to authorities.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says Kemfton Quewanaki Kenon, 27, was arrested on Friday in connection to the shooting death of Khyla Rodriguez, of Augusta.
Kenon is booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center and charged with murder and possession of a firearm during a crime, according to jail bookings.
Rodriguez, 25, was found dead after deputies received a call about a shooting on May 15 at 1:11 a.m. on Cameron Drive.
The Richmond County Coroner’s Office said Rodriguez was pronounced dead at 2:27 a.m.
Kenon was previously wanted for questioning in the case and was located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. He was interviewed and arrested on an unrelated warrant.
Deputies were also interviewed two other subjects in the case. They were not arrested in the case.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – People who live in South Augusta are raising concerns about the future of the Family Y on Tobacco Road.
Officials say the facility has been operating at a loss for years, and have had a low number of memberships. The location also has a new owner. The cost of the lease is too high and the facility is also in need of renovations, which are said to be costly.
“The reality is we couldn’t afford the current lease that we were in,” said Catie McCauley, president and CEO of Family Y of Greater Augusta. “Over the last 10 years we’ve been subsidizing this lot. So we got to look at a model that we can sustain for the next several generations not just the next couple years.”
The location is set to close in October, but officials say they are working with community members and contractors for a new building that they can move into and are committed to staying in South Augusta.
Photojournalist credit: Gary Hipps
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