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Texas high school football scores: Austin-area UIL highlights from Week 2

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Texas high school football scores: Austin-area UIL highlights from Week 2


Week 2 of the Texas high school football season is in the books, highlighted by a handful of thrillers that went down to the wire or overtime. Lake Travis staved off Rockwall’s overtime bid on a missed 51-yard field goal, Cedar Park snapped Vandgegrift’s 20-game regular-season winning streak and Liberty Hill cruised past Rouse.

Thursday night saw Bowie move to 2-0 with a 37-28 win at Vista Ridge, and in the two closest games of the night, Austin High survived Westwood 35-34 and McNeil fell 41-28 to Lake Belton, the Mavericks’ second straight overtime loss to start the season. And Akins topped Cedar Creek to snap its 26-game losing streak that dated back to 2021.

An official tosses the coin ahead of Thursday night's Akins vs. Cedar Creek game at Bastrop ISD Memorial Stadium. Akins won 42-29, the Eagles' first win since Sept. 30, 2021.

An official tosses the coin ahead of Thursday night’s Akins vs. Cedar Creek game at Bastrop ISD Memorial Stadium. Akins won 42-29, the Eagles’ first win since Sept. 30, 2021.

This was our thread throughout tonight as we updated scores and games across Central Texas:

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Some more Austin-area finals

Converse Judson 31, Hutto 29

Liberty Hill 57, Rouse 38

Waco Connally 44, Lago Vista 26

SA Southwest 36, Lockhart 23

Anderson-Shiro 46, Luling 0

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Lampasas 49, Salado 30

East View 51, Burnet 0

Lake Travis 45, Rockwall 42

Lake Travis survives Rockwall scare

Despite being backed up to its own 13-yard line with 18 seconds left, Rockwall still moved into position to send the game into overtime, but Daniel Estrada’s 51-yard field goal attempt came up just short and Lake Travis has escaped 45-42 at Cavalier Stadium to improve to 2-0.

Lake Travis holds a slim lead

After trailing 38-28 in the 3rd quarter, Rockwall’s backup quarterback, Brent Rickert, engineered a pair of scoring drives to help the visitors go up 42-38 over Lake Travis with 3:34 left in the game. But Lake Travis responded, marching on an 85-yard scoring drive that ended with Chaston Ditta hitting Patrick Colby for a 14-yard TD pass with 35 seconds remaining. Colby snared four passes on the drive. Lake Travis is clinging to a 45-42 lead.

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Final scores are rolling in across Central Texas

Georgetown 39, Belton 10

Weiss 54, San Marcos 0

Westlake 63, San Benito 7

Cedar Park 49, Vandegrift 46 (2 OT)

McCallum 42, Travis 14

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Canyon Lake 56, Crockett 0

Navarro 19, Eastside 16

Bryan Brazos Christian 41, Hill Country 18

Houston Lutheran South 41, Hyde Park 22

Johnson 35, Stony Point 24

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Hewitt Midway 44, Cedar Ridge 14

China Spring 27, Bastrop 24

Columbus 63, La Grange 21

Johnson City 36, Sonora 35

Jarrell 21, Marble Falls 14

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Thrall 38, Rosebud-Lott 21

Thorndale 33, Granger 27

Giddings 40, Smithville 7

Bartlett 16, Bruceville-Eddy 14

Cedar Park snaps Vandegrift’s winning streak

David Cooper hit Bowen Cole-Travis on a third-and-11 play as Cedar Park rallied to end Vandegrift’s 20-game regular-season winning streak with a 49-46 double overtime win at Gupton Stadium.

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Lake Travis goes up in third quarter

Lake Travis has opened a 38-28 lead over Rockwall late in the third quarter. Rockwall’s QB Landyn Locke has been knocked out of the game with an injured knee.

Vandegrift takes the lead in 2nd OT

After missing a pair of field goals in the 4th quarter, Vandegrift has taken a 46-43 lead in the second overtime. Cedar Park now has a chance to win or tie.

Lake Travis-Rockwall, Vandegrift-Cedar Park updates

Lake Travis and Rockwall are tied 28-28. Rockwall’s Daniel Estrada’s 47-yard field goal brings the visitors to a 28-28 tie with 6:27 left in the 3rd.

And Vandegrift has scored in overtime on a George Farley TD catch and then converted the 2-piont try to tie it up again. The Vipers and Cedar Park are heading to a second OT with Vandegrift taking possession facing the Black Rain defense tied 43-43.

Austin-area updates: Cedar Park-Vandegrift working overtime

Vandegrift’s Daeshon Morgan’s interception in overtime has been negated by a penalty, and Cedar Park has capitalized as Trey Morgan scored from 2 yards out for the Timberwolves. Cedar Park leads 43-35 after a successful 2-point conversion.

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Other updates:

∙ Westlake is rolling over San Benito 56-7 late in the 3rd quarter.

∙ East View leads Burnet 44-0 in the 4th quarter.

∙ Belton just scored, but Georgetown still leads the Tigers 39-10 in the 4th quarter.

∙ Canyon Lake still leads Crockett 56-0 in the 4th quarter.

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∙ Navarro leads Northeast 12-8 in the 3rd.

∙ LASA is up on Eastside 13-0 in the 3rd.

Liberty Hill-Rouse halftime report

Liberty Hill leads Rouse 30-24 at the break. Kyle May is leading the Panthers with 67 rushing yards and three TDs, while Rouse’s London Morgan has thrown for 211 yards and three TDs as well.

Vandegrift retakes lead: Vandegrift’s fourth-and-1 gamble paid off as Griffin Gorrebeeck ran for 51 yards and the Vipers responded to Cedar Park’s score and now lead 35-28 with less than 10 minutes remaining.

Lake Travis-Rockwall halftime report

From Jay Plotkin, who’s covering tonight’s game: Rockwall QB Landyn Locke’s fast start powered the Yellowjackets to a 17-7 lead, but Lake Travis’ Chaston Ditta’s big second quarter pushed his team to a 21-17 lead at the break. Locke completed his first seven passes, including a 29-yard TD to Triston Gooch, before cooling off in the second quarter. On the flip side, Ditta completed 8 of his last 13 passes but also used his legs to convert a pair of crucial third-down plays late in the half. His 28-yard run to convert a third-and-7 in the final minute set up Vann Hopping’s 1-yard TD run to give the Cavaliers a 21-17 lead.

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First-half stats:

Hopping has 19 carries for 99 yards and 2 TDs; Ditta is 8-of-16 for 146 yards and 5 carries for 44 yards; Sidle has 3 catches for 83 yards and a TD. For Rockwall, Locke is 9-of-13 for 129 yards and a TD, Wilson has 10 carries for 93 yards and a TD and Gooch has 4 catches for 87 yards and a TD.

Cedar Park is driving on Vandegrift reaching inside the Viper 30 with less than 5 minutes remaining.  Vandegrift leads 35-28.

Austin-area updates: Cedar Park answers Vandegrift

Cedar Park’s Trey Hill scooted around left end to cap a six-minute scoring drive as the Timberwolves have drawn back even with Vandegrift 28-28 with 2:33 left in the third quarter.

Halftime scores: Canyon Lake leads Crockett 56-0; Waco Midway is on top of Cedar Ridge 30-7;

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∙ Second-quarter scores: LASA leads Eastside 7-0; Johnson has rallied to tie Stony Point 14-14; Copperas Cove leads Glenn 20-13; and Taylor St. Mary’s narrowly leads Round Rock Concorida 32-30.

Lake Travis and Vandegrift both take leads

Two of our top games tonight have tightened:

Lake Travis has taken its first lead of the night as Vann Hopping has scored again, this time from 1 yard out as the Cavs lead 21-17 with 51 seconds left before intermission.

And after being tied with Cedar Park at the half, Vandegrift has marched down the field on its opening possession of the third quarter to take a 28-21 lead.

Other updates:

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∙ Anderson is up big on Elgin 27-7 in the second quarter.

∙ Belton has kicked a field goal, narrowing the Georgetown lead to 36-3 in the third quarter. Those are the first points the Eagles have given up this season, after six quarters.

∙ And in Liberty Hill, our own Colby Gordon is reporting that the Panthers are leading Rouse 30-24 at the half.

Lake Travis, Rockwall are locked in a tight one

Lake Travis has scored on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Chaston Ditta to Lark Sidle, but the Cavaliers still trail Rockwall 17-14 with 7 minutes left in the first half.

Elsewhere: Converse Judson is up by a touchdown, leading Hutto 14-7 in the second quarter. … And Thrall, looking to go to 2-0 on the season after last week’s opening win over Thorndale, is dominating Rosebud-Lott 28-7 at the half.

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You want scores? We got scores.

At halftime:

Georgetown 36, Belton 0

East View 30, Burnet 0

In the 2nd quarter:

Weiss 7, San Marcos 0

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Rockwall 17, Lake Travis 7

Westlake 35, San Benito 7

Vandegrift 21, Cedar Park 14

Liberty Hill 21, Rouse 10

Canyon Lake 42, Crockett 0

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Waco Midway 30, Cedar Ridge 0

1st-quarter scores:

Anderson 7, Elgin 0

McCallum 21, Travis 0

Stony Point 7, Johnson 0

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Taylor St. Mary’s 12, Round Rock Concordia 9

Connolly 7, Taylor 7

Copperas Cove 13, Glenn 10

More quick-hit updates around Central Texas

∙ After falling down 10-0 to Rockwall, Lake Travis has answered as Vann Hopping has scored his fifth TD on the ground this season. He scored from 15 yards out and Rockwall leads 10-7 with 4 minutes left in the first quarter.

∙ In Belton, Georgetown QB Kaleb McDougle has thrown for 201 yards and multiple TD passes in the first half. The Eagles scored again on a McDougle-to-Xavier Warren TD play. The Eagles are leading 36-0 with less than two minutes left in the first half.

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∙ Meanwhile, Georgetown’s other public school, East View, is shutting out Burnet 23-0 in the second quarter.

∙ Wimberley leads Fredericksburg 6-0 in the first quarter.

∙ Granger and Thorndale are even at 6-6 in the second quarter.

∙ University City Randolph scored first and leads Blanco 7-0 in the second stanza.

Some quick-hit updates around the Austin area

∙ Over at Chaparral Stadium, Westlake QB Rees Wise has found Lawson Grimes for their second TD connection of the night and the Chaps lead San Benito 28-7.

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∙ In Lake Travis, Rockwall has scored first on a 29-yard field goal from Daniel Estrada to go up 3-0 over the Cavaliers. There’s 9:39 left in the first quarter.

∙ East View has extended its lead to 16-0 over Burnet.

∙ McCallum has scored twice in the first quarter and the Knights lead Travis 14-0.

∙ Canyon Lake is shutting out Crockett 35-0 in the second quarter.

∙ Liberty Hill is leading Rouse 14-0 in the first.

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∙ Georgetown’s Chris Mashburn just kicked a 40-yard field goal to extend the Eagles’ lead to 29-0 over Belton.

∙ China Spring leads Bastrop 6-0 in the second quarter.

∙ La Grange leads Columbus 7-6 on the road.

Area updates: Georgetown is pitching a shutout

Westlake up by 2 TDs: Westlake has upped its lead over San Benito as Cal Livengood scored on a 6-yard TD run. The Chaps are up 21-7 with 4:19 left in the first quarter.

Crockett down early: Canyon Lake has scored twice in the opening quarter, leading Crockett 14-0.

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Georgetown is rolling: Up in Belton, Georgetown now leads 26-0 as Kaleb McDougle has thrown his second and third touchdown passes of the night, one to fellow sophomore Braylon Westfall inside the left pylon of the Belton end zone, and another to Davyn Sedwick. There’s 11:46 left in the first half. Sedwick has two catches for 100 yards and 2 TDs.

Other updates: Waco Midway is up on Cedar Ridge 21-0 in the s second quarter. … Vandegrift has gone in front of Cedar Park 14-7 in the opening quarter. … East View leads Burnet 10-0 in the second at Birkelbach Stadium.

Central Texas updates

At Westlake: Justice Johnson scored from 25 yards out as the Chaps increased their lead over San Benito 14-0, but San Benito has answered that and it’s now a 14-7 game.

In Belton: Georgetown now leads Belton 12-0 midway through the opening quarter. Xavier Warren scooted around left end on a jet sweep for a 3-yard touchdown. The extra point bounced off the upright, making that the Eagles’ second straight conversion miss.

Other updates: Vandegrift and Cedar Park are tied 7-7 in the first quarter. … East View leads Burnet 7-0, also in the first.

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Westlake and Georgetown both go up early

In Belton, Georgetown quarterback Kaleb McDougle found Davyn Sedwick for a 51-yard touchdown to give the Eagles an early 6-0 lead over the Tigers. Georgetown’s try for a 2-point conversion was unsuccessful.

At Westlake, the Chaps lead San Benito 7-0 early. Rees Wise hit Lawson Grimes for a 47-yard touchdown pass.

Our initial Fab Five rankings: Class 4A/others

1. Wimberley (1-0): After pitching a 46-0 shutout over Canyon Lake to open the season, the Texans look to extend their regular-season winning streak to 27 games when they host Fredericksburg tonight.

2. LBJ (1-0): The Jaguars have this week off after kicking off the season with a 54-6 win over San Antonio Houston last week, their first game back as a Class 4A program after two years in 5A. Next week is one of Central Texas’ top matchups of the year: at home against Wimberley.

3. Regents (1-0): Sophomore QB Jack Devine threw for 410 yards and 7 TDs in a 51-15 win over Lorena. Regents is at Dallas Kincaid tonight.

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4. La Grange (1-0): The Leopards edged Cameron Yoe 52-49 last week to launch its season and are looking to move to 2-0 tonight at Columbus, which also is 1-0.

5. Lago Vista (1-0): The Vikings earned a hard-fought 23-20 win over Burnet last week and are hosting Waco Connally tonight.

Our initial Fab Five rankings: Class 5A

1. Weiss (1-0): Despite losing senior QB Jax Brown to a season-ending injury the week before their opener, the Wolves edged McNeil 42-41 behind freshman QB Jaxon Schad (245 yards, 2 TDs). Weiss, back in Class 5A, plays its second straight 6A opponent tonight at San Marcos.

2. Georgetown (1-0): When you win 51-14, you expect to have gotten some breaks and the Eagles’ third touchdown in the first three minutes was as improbable as they come when Kaleb McDougle’s 25-yard pass to Xavier Warren was broken up, but teammate Max Muniz snatched up the ball off a prone Warren’s back and carried it into the endzone for a TD. The Eagles are traveling up I-35 tonight to take on Belton.

3. Anderson (1-0): Senior QB Max Gerlich accounted for 425 total yards and 8 TDs to earn our Central Texas player of the week award, leading the Trojans past McCallum 57-40. Gerlich threw for 293 yards and 7 TDs and added another 132 rushing yards and score. The Trojans are at Elgin tonight.

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4. Rouse (1-0): After spanking Connally 57-10, the Raiders’ schedule kicks up a couple of notches tonight as they play at Liberty Hill, which dropped its opener 49-26 to perennial Class 6A powerhouse Cibolo Steele.

5. Hays (1-1): The Hawks beat Elgin last week but lost to Pflugerville 47-7 last night. They host Hendrickson next week to open District 12-5A DI play.

Our initial Fab Five rankings: Class 6A

1. Westlake (1-0): Senior TE Brody Wilhelm snagged 4 TDs from Rees Wise as the Chaps rallied from a 14-13 halftime deficit to down Prosper 35-14 last week. Westlake hosts San Benito tonight.

2. Lake Travis (1-0): RB Vann Hopping rushed for 4 TDs in his final five carries as the Cavs romped past Arlington Martin 51-12. They host Rockwall tonight in their home opener.

3. Vandegrift (1-0): After last week’s 31-14 win over Dripping Springs, the Vipers are putting their 20-game regular-season winning streak on the line tonight against Cedar Park, which is probably still smarting after last week’s excruciating 45-43 five-overtime loss to Harker Heights.

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4. Hutto (1-0): After routing San Marcos 63-8 last week, the Hippos are on the road at Converse Judson tonight to close out non-district play. Braeton Anderson caught only three passes last week, but they accounted for 151 yards.

5. Bowie (2-0): The Bulldogs jumped out to a 17-0 first-half lead over Vista Ridge on Thursday night en route to a 37-28 win.

Tonight’s games

All of these are non-district matchups. Tonight we’ll have staff coverage of the Lake Travis-Rockwall, Vandegrift-Cedar Park and Liberty Hill-Rouse games:

San Benito (0-1) at Westlake (1-0), 7

Rockwall (1-0) at Lake Travis (1-0), 7:30

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Vandegrift (1-0) at Cedar Park (0-1), 7

Rouse (1-0) at Liberty Hill (0-1), 7:30

Stony Point (1-0) at Johnson (1-0), 7:30

Cedar Ridge (0-1) at Waco Midway (1-0), 7

San Antonio Wagner (0-0) at Dripping Springs (0-1), 7:30

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Hutto (1-0) at Converse Judson (0-1), 7

Weiss (1-0) at San Marcos (0-1), 7:30

Round Rock (1-0) at Temple (1-0), 7:30

Anderson (1-0) at Elgin (0-1), 7:30

Travis (1-0) at McCallum (0-1), 7:30

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Crockett (0-1) at Canyon Lake (0-1), 7

Georgetown (1-0) at Belton (0-1), 7

Taylor (0-1) at Connally (0-1), 7:30

Lockhart (0-1) at S.A. Southwest (1-0), 7:30

Northeast (0-1) at Navarro (1-0), 7:30

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Eastside (0-1) at LASA (0-1), 7:30

Burnet (0-1) at East View (0-1), 7

Marble Falls (1-0) at Jarrell (1-0), 7:30

Fredericksburg (0-1) at Wimberley (1-0), 7:30

Lago Vista (1-0) at Waco Connally (1-0), 7:30

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China Spring (0-1) at Bastrop (1-0), 7

Giddings (0-1) at Smithville (0-1), 7:30

Lampasas (1-0) at Salado (0-1), 7:30

Llano (1-0) at Comanche (0-1), 7

Del Valle (1-0) at Schertz Clemens (0-1)

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Luling (1-0) at Anderson-Shiro (1-0), 7

Rosebud-Lott (1-0) at Thrall (1-0), 7

Granger (0-1) at Thorndale (0-1), 7

Central Texas Christian (1-0) at Florence (0-1), 7

Off this week: LBJ

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Central Texas scores and recaps from Thursday night

Austin High 35, Westwood 34: The Maroons are 2-0 for the first time since 2015 and Thursday’s win snapped an eight-game losing streak to Westwood in their series. Austin High plays Johnson next week while Westwood (0-2) opens District 25-6A play against McNeil (0-2).

Bowie 37, Vista Ridge 28: After a 25-minute weather delay to start the game, Bowie jumped out to a 17-0 first-half lead en route to a non-district win at Gupton Stadium. The Bulldogs can move to 3-0 next week at home against Glenn on Thursday; the Rangers will open 25-6A play against Round Rock.

Leander 42, Hendrickson 21: The Lions (1-1) close out non-district play next week against Del Valle while Hendrickson will open District 12-5A DI play at Hays (1-1).

Akins 42, Cedar Creek 22: Akins, which had gone winless for two-plus seasons, will seek its first back-to-back wins since 2021 in next week’s game at Manor New Tech. Cedar Creek will have a bye.

Pflugerville 47, Hays 7: The Panthers (2-0) eclipsed the 45-point mark for the second straight week and will look to start out 3-0 for the first time since 2021 next Friday at Fort Bend Christian.

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Harker Heights 38, Manor 14: The Mustangs fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2019 and will have to wait two weeks before their next chance; Manor has an open week next week before opening district play against Hutto on Sept. 20.

Lake Belton 41, McNeil 28 (OT): McNeil, which fell to Weiss in overtime last week, dropped to 0-2 with another overtime loss. After scoring first in overtime, Lake Belton ended the game with a pick-six. McNeil opens 25-6A play next week against Westwood.

Killeen Chaparral 54, Manor New Tech 0: After a thrilling 14-13 win over LASA last week, Manor New Tech could not keep the momentum going in Thursday’s rout.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas high school football scores, Tx updates Week 2



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Severe storms possible in Austin midweek. Here’s what to expect and timings.

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Severe storms possible in Austin midweek. Here’s what to expect and timings.


So far this month, Austin’s main weather observation site at Camp Mabry has recorded 0.7 inch of rain, but the year overall has been dry. Since Jan. 1, we’ve recorded just over 2.5 inches of rainfall, which is about 2.75 inches below normal at this point in the year.

While the weekend rain wasn’t exactly a drought-buster, we can still keep our hopes high — or, in the words of a classic infomercial: “But wait … there’s more!” 

Morning: We’ll wake early Tuesday under dark and cloudy skies, as the sun doesn’t rise in Austin until 7:46 a.m. because of daylight saving time. Temperatures will be near 70 degrees, but don’t expect the same foggy start we saw Monday. Winds will be a bit gusty out of the south, which will help keep the low-level moisture mixed and prevent it from settling in and creating a layer of fog. 

Midday: Sprinkles or light showers are possible through midday, but the heavier rainfall will hold off during the morning. The upper-level low pressure system approaching from the west will help produce active weather across West Texas during the first half of Tuesday. 

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Afternoon: However, across Central Texas an atmospheric lid, known as a capping inversion, will remain in place until surface temperatures warm up enough for rising air to break through the “cap.” Once that happens, the atmosphere will gradually destabilize through the afternoon and evening, allowing rain and thunderstorms to develop.

Breezy south winds will continue throughout the day, with gusts up to 25 mph. Afternoon temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 70s and lower 80s.

Once the cold front transits east of Austin on Wednesday, drier and cooler weather will settle in for the rest of the work week before 80-degree afternoon temperatures reemerge next weekend.



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Texas Mother Is Exonerated After 22 Years for a Crime That Never Happened – Innocence Project

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Texas Mother Is Exonerated After 22 Years for a Crime That Never Happened – Innocence Project


(Austin, TX – March 9, 2026) Carmen Mejia was exonerated today after Travis County District Court Judge P. David Wahlberg dismissed a 2003 murder charge against her, following a ruling from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) — the state’s highest criminal court — overturning her convictions and finding that new evidence established that Ms. Mejia is “actually innocent.” 

The CCA’s decision, on Jan. 22, 2026, found Ms. Mejia actually innocent of the death of a 10-month-old infant in her care who was critically burned from scalding bathwater due to a water heater in her rental home that lacked safety technology. Ms. Mejia has spent the last 22 years in prison for what the State claimed to be murder but now agrees was, in fact, a tragic accident.

“While we are overjoyed that the courts finally recognize that Ms. Mejia is innocent, this grave injustice should have never happened in the first place,” said Vanessa Potkin, Ms. Mejia’s Innocence Project attorney. “Ms. Mejia is a woman of immeasurable strength, who has relied on her deep faith to withstand a traumatic period of her life that most people wouldn’t be able to survive. Her case is far from isolated. There is a clear pattern in our criminal legal system of wrongly accusing caregivers when a child in their care dies from an accident or illness, particularly when those caregivers are women of color. We have seen too many cases like Ms. Mejia’s where false and outdated medical testimony lead to wrongful convictions, and there are undoubtedly thousands more people still wrongly imprisoned because of such testimony.”

“Ms. Mejia, today we acknowledge that our office failed you,” said Sarah Byrom, Assistant District Attorney, Travis County District Attorney’s Office. “The State pursued and obtained a conviction against you for what we now understand was a tragic accident and that failure cost you over 20 years of your life. Nothing that I say, and nothing that we do in this courtroom today can restore the time that was taken from you or undo the pain and separation that you and your children have had to endure.”

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A Tragic Accident and Lost Evidence

On July 28, 2003, Ms. Mejia was at home with her four children and babysitting a 10-month-old when the fatal accident occurred. While Ms. Mejia was nursing her youngest child, her eldest daughter tried to bathe the baby. The water heater in Ms. Mejia’s rental home lacked the now-standard safety features, allowing the tub water to quickly reach 147.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Within seconds of being exposed to this high water temperature, the baby suffered third-degree burns. He died in the hospital later that day as a result of complications from the burn injuries.

Instead of recognizing this as the terrible accident it was, police arrested Ms. Mejia for murder. 

A combination of factors — in particular, invalid medical testimony and lost evidence supporting Ms. Mejia’s account of the accident — contributed to her wrongful conviction. No medical burn expert was called to testify at trial. Instead, the prosecution’s experts — a medical doctor and retired law enforcement investigator — incorrectly asserted that the baby’s injuries could only have been caused by an adult intentionally holding the child down in scalding water.

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As part of their investigation, forensic interviews were conducted with Ms. Mejia’s children after the incident. The children’s statements, which were video recorded, supported Ms. Mejia’s account that this was an accident. However, the recordings disappeared from law enforcement’s custody before the trial, as a result, the jury never heard these corroborating accounts.

At trial, the State presented no evidence of prior mistreatment or violence. Ms. Mejia had no criminal history. 

Ms. Mejia steadfastly maintained her innocence, including during her testimony at trial. Nonetheless, the jury returned a guilty verdict, convicting her of murder and injury to a child. She was sentenced to life in prison, lost her parental rights, and did not see her four children again for over two decades.

In this case from the start, the worst was assumed: That this was an intentional act,” said Collin Bellair, Assistant District Attorney, Travis County District Attorney’s Office, at today’s hearing. “We could not have been more wrong, and it turned a tragic accident into a wrongful conviction.”

 

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A Conviction Collapses Under Faulty Science

One significant person who believed in Ms. Mejia’s innocence during her trial was Art Guerrero, the courtroom bailiff. Ms. Mejia’s testimony and her vehement declarations of innocence stayed with Mr. Guerrero years after her conviction, so much so that he contacted the Innocence Project, the District Attorney’s Office, and another judge, urging a reexamination of Ms. Mejia’s case.

“From the time that you were taken from this place to prison, you were not forgotten … you were not forgotten. There was somebody thinking about you the whole time and just trying to figure out what to do and how to do it,” Mr. Guerrero said, addressing Ms. Mejia at her exoneration hearing.

After the Innocence Project took up Ms. Mejia’s case in 2021, the Conviction Integrity Unit of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office also agreed to investigate her innocence claim. During the reinvestigation, they located Ms. Mejia’s children, who had been adopted in a closed adoption and had spent the past two decades wondering what happened to their birth mother, even hiring a private investigator to no success.

In 2024, the Innocence Project filed a writ of habeas corpus in Travis County District Court, challenging Ms. Mejia’s wrongful conviction. Over the course of a year, Judge Wahlberg conducted hearings at which multiple experts presented evidence that — contrary to what the State’ presented at trial — the child’s injuries were consistent with an accidental scalding.

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Wendy Shields, senior researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy — whose decades of research have focused on preventing injuries in the home with particular expertise in scald burns — testified in 2024 that the water heater in Ms. Mejia’s rental home lacked recommended plumbing safety features designed to prevent scald injuries. She explained that this situation is common in homes built prior to the 1980s, like Ms. Mejia’s, before building safety codes were revised to require tap-level protections against scalding. 

“Burn injuries remain a leading cause of accidental injury and death among children. My research estimates that approximately 6,500 children experience tap-water scald burns each year in the United States. Between 2013 and 2022, there were approximately 1,600 tap-water scald injuries involving children under age 18 in incidents where another child was involved,” Dr. Shield said today.

“The technology to prevent these injuries already exists. Devices such as thermostatic mixing valves and other temperature-limiting plumbing protections can dramatically reduce the risk of tap-water scald burns. However, these protections are not consistently required in older housing, leaving many families without basic safeguards. This is particularly concerning for renters, who often do not control the maintenance or temperature settings of the water heater in their homes,” Dr. Shield added.

In 2024, Dr. James Gallagher, a burn surgeon and former director of the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center — one of the nation’s leading trauma burn centers — testified that the tub’s incredibly hot water could have caused accidental burn injuries “in a matter of seconds.” He found that “there is no medical evidence to support that this child’s injuries had to be the result of an intentional act by an adult,” directly refuting the 2003 trial testimony of the State’s experts.

One of Ms. Mejia’s daughters, now an adult who missed out on growing up with her mother, also testified about her recollections of the accident, including turning on the water. 

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At Ms. Mejia’s 2003 trial, the State’s medical examiner testified that the death was a homicide based on the available evidence at the time. Dr. Elizabeth Peacock, who performed the autopsy, reversed the manner of death determination from homicide to accidental in 2025 and testified that she would have “ruled this an accident,” if she’d had all of the information now available. When asked during post-conviction proceedings why she decided to take this step, Dr. Peacock responded with great clarity, because “it’s the right thing to do.”  

As a result of the new evidence presented in these hearings, the State’s key experts recanted their testimony supporting the prosecution’s theory that an adult had to have intentionally caused the burns. Judge Wahlberg found that no crime took place and subsequently, the CCA ruled that Ms. Mejia had established her innocence and overturned her conviction.

In dismissing the case based on her “actual innocence,” Judge Wahlberg told Ms. Mejia, “There’s nothing that I can say at this point that will bring back those 23 years. Signing this piece of paper won’t bring it back. There is no amount of money that will ever compensate you for losing the best years of your life. I wish I had that power. What I can do is say to you that there is a reason to hope and believe that your future will be better every day from now on, and I pray that it is so.”





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Austin, TX

Bike MS Texas MS 150 returns April 25–26 with routes up to 96 miles and Leap Ahead option

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Bike MS Texas MS 150 returns April 25–26 with routes up to 96 miles and Leap Ahead option


Bike MS: ACC Texas MS 150 is rolling back into Central Texas April 25–26 and it’s bigger, better, and bolder than ever. Sponsored by American Communications Construction, this legendary two-day ride is the largest fundraising event in the Bike MS series and brings riders from across Texas together to fund research and support for people living with MS.

Riders of all levels can find a distance to match their goals. Route distances this year include day-one options of 96, 75, 50 and 38 miles and day-two options of 55 and 82 miles. Plus the fan-favorite “Leap Ahead Route” on Day Two that lets riders skip forward and roll into the finish at Texas A&M’s campus amid cheering crowds.

New for 2026 is a scenic 38-mile option launching from Bastrop and winding through Buescher State Park and the Lost Pines, a tree-lined, single-day alternative for riders who want the full Bike MS experience without the two-day format.

The ride funds the National MS Society’s work. Bike MS has helped raise more than $1.4 billion for research, care and advocacy, funding treatments, navigator programs and partnerships that connect people affected by MS to resources. Your miles and dollars make a direct impact.

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One of the largest and most visible teams on the ride is Team Tacodeli, founded in 2004 and proudly sponsored by Austin’s Tacodeli. What began as a dozen riders and roughly $10,000 raised has grown into one of the MS 150’s most successful volunteer-led fundraisers. Team Tacodeli consistently ranks among the state’s top fundraisers and has raised millions for the cause. For team details and how to join or volunteer, visit TeamTacodeli.org.

Team Tacodeli also hosts an annual fundraiser (admission $30; kids 12 & under free) featuring a Tacodeli buffet, New Belgium beer and non-alcoholic drinks (while supplies last), a full cash bar, live music, silent auction, kids’ activities and more , with 100% of proceeds benefiting the National MS Society. Riders for the ACC Texas MS 150 are asked to meet a fundraising minimum (Team Tacodeli minimum: $400).

Want to ride, volunteer or support? Register for the ACC Texas MS 150 or learn more about the event and how funds are used at the National MS Society’s website.

Learn more about Team Tacodeli: https://teamtacodeli.org/



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