Augusta, GA
Fletcher Named to Ray Guy Award Watch List – University of Cincinnati Athletics
Zach Stipe
Associate AD / Communications
AUGUSTA, Ga. – University of Cincinnati junior punter Mason Fletcher was named on Wednesday to the preseason watch list for the 2023 Ray Guy Award, which is given to the nation’s top collegiate punter in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Fletcher was one of three finalists for the 2022 Ray Guy Award following a standout sophomore campaign in which he ranked fourth in the nation with a 46.2 average and booted 14 punts of 50 yards or more to go along with 29 punts downed inside the 20. His long punt of 84 yards at SMU shattered the Cincinnati and American Athletic Conference records. He garnered Associated Press Third Team All-America and All-AAC First Team accolades and was honored with the 2022 AAC Special Teams Player of the Year Award.
The Melbourne, Australia native collected preseason All-Big 12 accolades earlier this summer. He will be among the favorites for the 2023 Ray Guy honor.
Fletcher is one of 50 punters on the preseason watch list. The final list of candidates will be released on Nov. 6th. In mid-November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the 10 semifinalists, who will be announced on Nov. 10. 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 Nov. 22. 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.
ABOUT THE RAY GUY AWARD
The Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor Thomson, Georgia native and College and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ray Guy. Among the statistics used to identify the winner is net punting average, number of times punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned with particular emphasis placed on net punting average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team’s success.
ABOUT THE AUGUSTA SPORTS COUNCIL
The Augusta Sports Council (ASC) enriches the quality of life and economic well-being for the Augusta metropolitan area by supporting and attracting sporting activities. To learn more, visit www.augustasportscouncil.org.
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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