Twenty Central Texas high school football teams won their opening bi-district matchups of the 2025 state playoffs, and the Anderson Trojans, who host Friendswood Saturday, hope to make it 21.
Austin, TX
Is COVID still around in Central Texas? Austin area seeing spike in cases this summer.
New COVID-19 variants, nicknamed FLiRT, found in wastewater, says CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning the public of a new set of COVID-19 variants, nicknamed FLiRT, that were recently found in wastewater.
COVID-19 never left. And like in every summer since 2020, Central Texas is seeing a spike in cases.
We know this anecdotally through what local doctors’ offices and clinics are experiencing, as well as an uptick in COVID-19 in our wastewater.
This summer spike is exactly what Austin has seen since COVID-19 arrived in 2020, said Dr. Angela Gibson, the urgent care and after-hours chief for Austin Regional Clinic.
“None of us are surprised,” she said. “It is doing exactly what we thought it would do.”
Why do COVID-19 cases rise each summer?
After May brought some of the lowest numbers of cases since COVID-19 began, the cases started climbing again in June, and “now it’s everywhere,” Gibson said.
The simple reason: People are traveling. Most of the cases Gibson has seen are in people who have been in and around airports or have had family members traveling.
If you haven’t had the latest COVID-19 booster from last fall, it’s not a bad idea to get that vaccine a month before a big trip, Gibson said. The next update in boosters should be out in September, she said.
What are the symptoms of this COVID-19 variant?
The U.S. is still seeing omicron variants, including FLiRT strains, which are very similar. Most people don’t have the loss of smell or taste. Sometimes they have stomach upset or diarrhea, but mostly the symptoms are flulike:
- Fever.
- Sore throat.
- Nasal congestion or runny nose.
- Cough.
- Body aches.
- Fatigue.
- Headache.
- Brain fog.
People can have any or many of these.
“I wish I could say there was something definitive,” Gibson said.
Often, people might think they are having allergies, even though seasonal allergies in Austin are at their lowest point in July, she said.
Are people in the hospital with COVID-19?
Very few people need to go to the hospital now for COVID-19.
“I haven’t had to send a patient to the hospital (for COVID-19) in a long time,” said Dr. Edgar Navarro Garza, a pediatrician at Harbor Health.
Gibson, who treats both adults and children, also hasn’t had to hospitalize someone for COVID-19 in a while.
Most patients with COVID-19 who do end up going to an emergency room have respiratory symptoms similar to the common cold, said Dr. Ann Buchanan, an emergency room physician at St. David’s Medical Center. Some also have nausea and vomiting.
Most people who test positive for COVID-19 are not experiencing serious symptoms because we have built up immunity through vaccination, previous infections or being exposed to it in the community, Garza said. Doctors also are able to help patients better manage COVID-19 at home to prevent the need to go to a hospital, he said.
When should you take a test?
Anytime you have any of the COVID-19 symptoms, you should take an over-the-counter test. Because many people have only mild symptoms, COVID-19 has become sneakier and easier to spread by the otherwise healthy people who think they just have a cold or allergies, Gibson said. They often get a surprise if they do take a COVID-19 test, she said, because their test turns out positive for the virus.
COVID-19 and flu are still dangerous for people who are older than 65 or have a condition that compromises their immune system.
Do I have to quarantine if I have COVID-19?
The CDC changed the guidelines in March. You should stay home with COVID-19 until you have had 24 hours in which your symptoms are getting better and you are fever-free. After that point, for the next five days, you should take precautions such as wearing a mask and distancing to protect other people from becoming sick.
What else is going around?
Flu: It’s not common, but the occasional case is popping up, especially for people who have traveled recently or been around people who have traveled recently.
Strep throat: In children or in adults who are around children, this bacterial infection shows up regularly.
“Walking” pneumonia, aka mycoplasma pneumonia: This is spreading among families and has a spike every four to five years, Gibson said. This is the year of the spike. It can take one to four weeks to spread from family member to family member. At first it seems like any other cold, but then the cough doesn’t get better and the fever might return occasionally. Antibiotics are needed to treat it.
Intestinal ick: The vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, etc., can be caused by a variety of factors in the summer: Traveling to other countries where your body isn’t used to the food or water; food poisoning, especially from improperly storing food in the heat; a general stomach bug; or drinking the water while swimming in a pool, lake or river. If it isn’t better in 48 hours, you should see a doctor.
Pink eye: It’s the other ick from the swimming in unclean water problem.
Heat stroke or exhaustion, or sunburn: Remember to drink enough water (not beverages with alcohol or caffeine) to have light-colored urine; to seek the shade; to avoid being outside in the afternoon heat; to wear an SPF 30 or more sunscreen; and to add a new coat of sunscreen every one to two hours.
Not Saharan dust: Most people are not having a problem with Saharan dust unless they have asthma or another lung disease, Garza said. If you think you are having a problem with a sore throat and nasal congestion, check for COVID-19.
Austin, TX
Texas high school football playoffs: Scores from Austin area games
Anderson wide receiver Jay Fullmer (21) hurdles McCallum defensive lineman Tucker Satterfield (53) as the McCallum defense attempt to bring him down in the first half of the Shoal Creek Showdown as the McCallum Knights and Anderson Trojans open their football season at House Park in Austin, Aug. 28, 2025. The Trojans won the game 37-2.
These are the first-round playoff scores involving Austin-area teams that were played Thursday and Friday.
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MORE: Our staff breaks down the Austin area’s prospects for the 2025 playoffs
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Westlake Chaparrals Jarren Lopez (6) goes down under Vandegrift defense in the fourth quarter as the Chaparrals and Vipers face off in a Class 6A Division II bi-district round playoff game at Monroe Stadium, Nov. 14, 2025.
Central Texas playoff scores
Class 6A Division I
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Lake Travis 41, Round Rock 14
Class 6A Division II
Vandegrift 16, Westlake 14
Dripping Springs 38, Vista Ridge 14
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San Marcos 42, Eagle Pass 10
Class 5A Division I
Georgetown 42, Burleson Centennial 11
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Midlothian 36, East View 16
Cedar Park 50, Tyler John Tyler 43
Friendswood (6-4) vs. Anderson (9-1), 3 p.m. Saturday, House Park
Class 5A Division II
Pflugerville 64, S.A. Sam Houston 35
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Connally 65, S.A. Jefferson 0
Liberty Hill 62, S.A. Lanier 0
Bastrop 62, S.A. Burbank 0
Class 4A Division I
LBJ 37, Fredericksburg 15
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Somerset 70, Manor New Tech 26
Canyon Lake 63, Taylor 19
Class 4A Division II
Wimberley 59, Carrizo Springs 0
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S.A. Davenport 62, Eastside Memorial 0
Lampasas 52, San Angelo Lake View 14
Class 3A Division I
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Class 2A Division I
Class 2A Division II
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Austin, TX
Is Matthew McConaughey Running For Governor? Why Campaign Signs Have Been Spotted In Austin, Texas | Whiskey Riff
Is Matthew McConaughey finally throwing his name into the hat of politics?
The Oscar-winning actor and author has been teasing a political run for years. Back in 2024, McConaughey really seemed to be entertaining a run for the governor of Texas. During the election year, the man known for such hit films as Interstellar and Dazed and Confused was asked about his interest again and again.
When he spoke with Forbes about the matter, he didn’t immediately shut the idea down. Rather, he thinks it’s something that he could enter into after he learns more about it:
“Yes. I have thought about running for office, getting into this category. I’m on a learning tour and have been for probably the last six years of understanding what this category means. Do I have instincts, intellect that it would be a good fit for me and I would be a good fit for it. That would be useful. I’m still on that learning tour, and, you know, days like this. I’m learning a lot.”
So considering the fact that “McConaughey for Governor” campaign signs have been spotted in Texas recently, could his learning tour be over?
Lone Star State residents have been freaking out as signage for a Matthew McConaughey political run have popped up in North Texas. People have even reported seeing billboards and yard signs teasing the actor’s transition into politics. In addition, social media users have seen (and videoed) various campaign set ups, and even a large stage installation, on various occasions. As you might imagine, those have gone viral on social media.
Here’s a video of the aforementioned stage installation, which features Texas flags all over the place and “McConaughey for Governor” signs that have a tagline that harkens back to one of his most famous movie roles:
“Be Pretty Cool if You Voted.”
But here’s the deal… Matthew McConaughey is not running for governor of Texas, even though Texans would be alright, alright, alright with him doing so.
As the caption included in FOX4’s post describes, the sightings of “McConaughey for governor” signs are actually for an upcoming Apple TV+ show that will feature Matthew playing a fictionalized version of himself:
“These highly realistic visuals are merely props for ‘Brothers,’ an upcoming Apple TV+ comedy series where McConaughey plays a fictionalized version of himself running for political office alongside his close friend, actor Woody Harrelson.”
So to be clear, anything and everything that Texas residents have seen about a potential McConaughey gubernatorial run are actually just realistic (and based on the internet’s response, confusing) set pieces. You can’t blame people for thinking that it might have been real with the Oscar winner publicly showing interest in running for governor in 2022, and teasing political runs in the years since.
While knowing that he isn’t running for office might be a let down, it’s fun to hear that he and Woody Harrelson will be working on a show together that will soon find a home on Apple TV+. And hey, this all might be for a TV series… but maybe they are also doing all of this to gauge how the public would respond to McConaughey running?
Sorry, I’ll take my tinfoil hat off…
Austin, TX
Texas Longhorn fans prepare to travel for showdown in Georgia
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas fans will make the stampede across the southeastern portion of the United States to Athens, Georgia, as the No. 10 Longhorns clash with the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs this upcoming Saturday.
Charlie Dunn, a dedicated Texas Longhorns fan and alumnus, is continuing a cherished tradition of attending road games with his father. “I tell people that I was brainwashed as a young child to go there,” Dunn said. This weekend, the father-son duo will travel to Athens to take in Saturday’s contest inside Sanford Stadium. “For the first time, we get to go, like, to their stadium, which I think is going to be awesome to see,” Dunn added.
They will be joined by thousands of fellow Longhorn fans, including 60 members of the Texas Exes organization. Margaret Williams, travel director for Texas Exes, expressed excitement about the new travel opportunities in the SEC. “It’s really fun now that we’re in the SEC because obviously there’s a lot of new sort of like, you know, travel destinations that we’ve never gone to before,” she said.
The Texas Exes Atlanta Chapter is preparing to welcome alumni and fans with open arms. “They’ll definitely have some warm Texas Longhorn arms to land in regardless of whether they’re in Athens or if they’re in Atlanta,” said Hunter Miranda, fundraising chair for the chapter.
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The group is holding a welcome party and happy hour on Friday at Botica, beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
“For those of us living in Atlanta as Texas fans, we’ve been waiting for the Longhorns to be a part of the SEC,” said chapter vice president Ryan Esparza.
For those unable to attend the game, a watch party is planned. “A really large crew who maybe weren’t able to get tickets are going to be joining the watch party,” said Esparza, with Miranda mentioning that door prizes will be given out.
Despite the competitive atmosphere, Texas fans remain confident. “We’ve got a lot of Bulldogs around us, and they like to have their voices be heard when they’re better than us. So I would like to very much be able to quiet them,” Esparza said. Williams added, “I mostly wanna say Hook ’em Horns, let’s go get ’em.”
Anyone interested in attending any of the events held by the Atlanta chapter of the Texas Exes is encouraged to contact the chapter.
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