Home Care In West Lake Hills, TX

Chase Ames threw for 409 yards and five touchdowns and Jaceton Gotta rushed for 106 yards and a TD as Dripping Springs defeated Westlake for the first time in school history Friday with a 45-35 win at Chaparral Stadium.

Tigers wideout Merrik Bloomgren hauled in eight passes for 164 yards and two TDs, with Cooper Reid tallying two scoring receptions and James Montgomery finishing with five catches for 112 yards and a touchdown. Dripping Springs (9-1, 5-1 District 26-6A) finished with more than 530 yards of offense. The Tigers will be the district's top seed in the Division II playoffs and host Vista Ridge.

Rees Wise had 363 yards and three touchdowns passing and ran for 66 yards and two scores to lead Westlake (7-3, 4-2), which will go to District 25-6A champion Vandegrift next week to open the postseason.

The replay of the contest, which was one of the best games of the year in Central Texas, between two of the top programs in Austin area high school football is below:

Ian French kicks a 45-yard field goal to give Dripping Springs a two-possession lead. This will be Dripping Springs' first win over Westlake if the Tigers hold on.

Dripping Springs converts a third-and-6 and has the ball at the Westlake 29. The Chaps have one timeout left.

Dripping Springs takes the lead as Chase Ames hits Cooper Reid on an 8-yard TD pass. Ames has 398 yards and five touchdowns passing.

Dripping Springs goes for it on fourth-and-5 from the Westlake 46 and gets a first down on a pass-interference penalty.

After a long kickoff return to the 48, the Tigers tie the game on the drive's first play with a 52-yard TD pass from Chase Ames to Merrik Bloomgren.

Rees Wise connects with Lawson Grimes on a 54-yard touchdown pass to put Westlake ahead. Wise has thrown for 328 yards and three touchdowns and run for 69 yards and two scores.

Dripping Springs answers on its second play with a 75-yard scoring strike from Chase Ames to James Montgomery. Ames now has 308 yards and three touchdowns passing.

Following a 66-yard pass to Jack Newhouse, Rees Wise crosses the goal line from 6 yards out to give Westlake the lead. Wise now has two rushing TDs to go along with two passing scores.

Westlake misses a 48-yard field goal attempt. Dripping Springs takes over at its own 31.

Dripping Springs running back Jaceton Gotta breaks two tackles in the backfield and sprints 18 yards into the end zone to tie the game.

Colton Hanson intercepts a tipped pass for Dripping Springs. The Tigers take over at the Westlake 27.

Westlake defensive back Thompson Bennett intercepts Tigers quarterback Chase Ames. The Chaps take over at their own 25.

It's everything you would expect from two of the top teams in Central Texas. Rees Wise has thrown for 174 yards and two touchdowns and run for a score for Westlake, while Chase Ames has passed for 206 yards and two TDs to lead Dripping Springs. The difference so far is the Tigers getting to the Westlake 2, then losing 26 yards and eventually missing a 45-yard field goal.

After converting a fourth-and-7, Dripping Springs gets to the Westlake 2. A snap over the quarterback's head gives the Tigers a loss of 26 yards after Jaceton Gotta recovers the ball. Dripping Springs then misses a 45-yard field goal.

Rees Wise tosses a 24-yard scoring strike to Lawson Grimes to cap off a 75-yard drive and put the Chaps ahead. Wise has 167 yards and two touchdowns passing and another TD rushing.

Dripping Springs answers with with a three-play, 75-yard drive as Chase Ames hits Cooper Reid on a 47-yard TD pass.

Rees Wise scores on a 13-yard TD run to give Westlake its first lead.

Westlake defensive back Mason Lastor intercepts a tipped pass to give the Chaps the ball at the Tigers 32

The teams trade punts. Dripping Springs takes over at its own 20.

Westlake answers with a quick 75-yard scoring drive to tie the game on Rees Wise's 17-yard TD pass to Braden Riddell.

Chase Ames throws a 30-yard TD pass to Merrik Bloomgren to put the Tigers on the board less than two minutes into the game.

The Chaps go for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 34 and fail to get it. Dripping Springs takes over with good field position.

This will be updated once the game begins.

Updated 10:55 a.m. Nov. 5

Residents in West Lake Hills and Rollingwood voted to renew a sales tax dedicated to street maintenance this November, according to unofficial results from Travis County released at 12:02 a.m. on Nov. 5

West Lake Hills residents reapproved a 0.5% sales tax with 78.2% of the vote, while Rollingwood residents reapproved a 0.25% sales tax with 86.57% of the vote.

"We are thankful and thrilled. We have a consistent, dedicated stream of funding to ensure our residential streets receive required repairs over the next eight years," West Lake Hills Mayor James Vaughan said. "A stable program over a relatively long duration allows for meaningful community input and efficient project delivery."

Updated 10:35 p.m. Nov. 4

Residents in West Lake Hills and Rollingwood were asked by their respective cities to renew a sales tax dedicated to street maintenance this November.

Unofficial voting totals for both cities shows that residents are voting in favor of the tax, according to 10:05 p.m. results from Travis County.

Residents in West Lake Hills reapproved a 0.5% sales tax with 79.86% of the vote, while Rollingwood reapproved a 0.25% sales tax with 85.45% of the vote.

Posted 8:48 p.m. Nov. 4

Residents in West Lake Hills and Rollingwood were asked by their respective cities to renew a sales tax dedicated to street maintenance this November.

Early voting for both cities shows that residents are voting in favor, according to 7:40 p.m. results from Travis County.

West Lake Hills

Proposition A from West Lake Hills asks for voter approval of a sales and use tax at the rate of one half of one percent, or 0.5%, to provide revenue for maintenance and repair of city streets.

Early voting results show:

Proposition A:

The street maintenance sales tax was first approved by voters in November 2021 and has since been used to complete various projects throughout the city, documents show.

Rollingwood

Proposition A from Rollingwood asks voters to approve a 0.25% local sales and use tax to provide revenue for maintenance and repair of city streets. The tax was first introduced in 2009, according to reporting.

Early voting results show:

Proposition A:

Something to note

All results are unofficial until canvassed.

Visit https://communityimpact.com/voter-guide/ to see results from all local elections in your community.

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Become an InCIder

Travis County officials say 13 percent of registered voters cast a ballot during the two-week early voting period that ended Friday. Texas voters have a lot to decide on, including 17 proposed amendments to the state constitution and a controversial proposed tax rate hike in Austin.

When is Election Day 2025?

Election Day, or the general election, is Tuesday, Nov. 4. In the general election, voters will consider statewide constitutional amendments and local races, as well as vote in a special election for the U.S. House.

What time do polls open on Election Day?

Texas voting hours on Election Day are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at polling places statewide.

Where can I vote in Texas?

According to the official Texas voting site, counties participating in the Countywide Polling Place Program (CWPP) — also known as "Vote Centers" — allow residents to vote at any location within their county. Travis, Bastrop, Hays and Williamson counties participate in CWPP. If a county does not participate in CWPP, residents may only vote at the precinct assigned to them.

To find their assigned precinct, residents can check "My Voter Portal," which will be update two days before Election Day. In the portal, residents will be asked to enter their name, county, date of birth and ZIP code to find their registration information and the nearest polling place. They can also contact their County Elections Office with questions about their polling place.

What do I need to bring to vote?

Voters must bring one of the following approved seven forms of identification: A Texas driver's license, a Texas personal identification card issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety, a Texas handgun license, a U.S. military ID with a photo, a U.S. passport book or card, a Texas election identification certificate or a U.S. citizenship certificate with a photo.

The Travis County Clerk's Office said cell phones are not allowed inside voting locations, but voters can bring printed notes.

Is it too late to vote by mail?

No, but you should move quickly. Mail ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, Nov. 4 and received in the county clerk's office no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5. You can also hand-deliver your ballot on Election Day to 5501 Airport Blvd. between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. You can only bring your own ballot and you must present ID and a signature.

Election Day Travis County voting locations

Registered voters in Travis County can cast their ballot at any voting center where a “Vote Here/Aqui” sign is displayed. All locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Find more information at https://votetravis.gov/current-election-information/current-election/.

Election Day Williamson County voting locations

Registered voters in Williamson County can cast their ballot at any voting center where a “Vote Here/Aqui” sign is displayed. All locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Find more information at https://www.wilcotx.gov/elections.

Election Day Bastrop County voting locations

Registered voters in Bastrop County can cast their ballot at any voting center where a “Vote Here/Aqui” sign is displayed. All locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Find more information at https://www.bastropvotes.org/voting-schedule/.

Katey Psencik is the breaking and trending editor at the Austin American-Statesman. Katey is a journalist and educator whose career spans print, TV, digital media, and nonprofits. Most recently, she led The Drag Audio Production House at the University of Texas, where she oversaw more than 40 student producers and executive produced award-winning podcasts. She also teaches podcasting and other journalism courses at UT. A Central Texas native and proud Texas Ex, her work has appeared in Texas Highways, Eater, Vox Media and more. She lives in South Austin with her two dogs, Oso and Mav.

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Geralynn Byers-Veal slammed a match-high 21 kills and Sydney Yohe stepped up in the fifth set, collecting four kills and a pair of blocks, as Westlake edged Round Rock in five sets to win their Class 6A Division I bi-district volleyball playoff match at Connally High School.

In fact, the four District 26-6A playoff teams made it a clean first-round sweep: Austin High beat Vista Ridge 25-18, 25-14, 17-25, 25-21; Lake Travis swept Stony Point 25-20, 25-10, 25-17; and Dripping Springs swept Vandegrift 25-14, 25-19, 26-24.

In other Central Texas results, Johnson, Anderson, Cedar Park, Liberty Hill, Georgetown, Weiss Hendrickson, Wimberley, Marble Falls, and Lago Vista advanced to the area round of the state playoffs this week.

Class 6A playoff update

While Westlake's Byers-Veal — a freshman — battered a stout Dragons defense, Chaps sisters Chloe and Clayton Kelly added a huge balancing effort. Chloe Kelly doubled up with 16 kills and 16 digs while Clayton Kelly added seven kills, 11 digs and 17 assists. Kyrksen Cook had 31 assists while Sunny McWilliams added 24 digs in the 20-25, 25-16, 26-24, 20-25, 15-11 victory. The Chaps were scheduled to play San Antonio Brennan Monday.

“We have prepared all season for tonight and in that fifth set, I messed up the rotation, but the team stepped up playing a different rotation just perfectly,” said Westlake coach Miguel Saenz. “We have battled illness, injuries and some tough losses, but that is why we play such a hard schedule. Round Rock is extremely good and we needed everything we had to beat them tonight.”

Round Rock capped a solid season with a 17-match winning streak and was 21-2 since an early-season loss to national power San Diego Torrey Pines at the Volleypalooza tournament. Dragons freshman libero Isa Cordaway-Dreier rocked the house, finishing with 29 digs with a high percentage of those coming off extremely athletic dives and recoveries to keep the ball in play. Alta Wilson slammed 22 kills and Parker Featherstone 18 kills for the Dragons, who also got 34 assists from Nila Beauchamp.

Other matches: Gentry Barker had 12 kills and 11 digs while Maggie Wheeler had nine kills and 16 digs and Adyson Davis notched seven assists with three blocks in Lake Travis' win. Tatum Wilson had 16 assists with two aces and Chloe Cummings added five kills for the Cavaliers, who also got 12 digs by Xyanna Stephens. ... Dripping Springs got 23 kills from two-time Central Texas player of the year Henley Anderson and 35 assists, 11 digs and three blocks by Sydney Lund to sweep Vandegrift. Madison Sestak added 10 kills for the Tigers and Emerson Robbins chipped in eight digs. ... Austin High used 19 kills by Riley Malloy, eight from Maggie McCarroll and seven more from both Camille Presley and Wesley McGinnis to beat Vista Ridge. McCarroll added 20 assists and Nora Bettis connected on 11 assists for the Maroons.

Class 5A playoff update

Hannah Griffin slammed 16 kills as Liberty Hill swept Comal Pieper 25-21, 25-14, 25-22. Addison Betzen notched 30 assists and three aces for the Panthers while Summer Snyder had 13 digs. ... Hendrickson swept McCallum in a hard-fought contest 25-23, 25-21, 25-18 as Asia Price had eight kills, Chinwendu Aguoru added seven and Amaya Bynum five kills for the Hawks. Kendal Roberson had 17 assists and seven digs while Eva Marie Thompson had 10 digs and three blocks. Piper Adair led McCallum with seven kills while Aaniya Thorton had 17 digs and Tiara Cooks added 14 digs. Senior setter Lexi Rosenblatt capped a stellar career with 18 assists.

Cedar Park used a powerful attack to beat Boerne Champion 27-25 25-17, 24-26, 25-17. Joy Udoye and Mya Cheatum had 12 kills each while Sienna Benavides added nine kills and six blocks. Anna Kurz recorded 28 digs while Udoye, Blake Gilkey and Sibley Oster had a combined 33 digs. Katelyn Hughes had 33 assists and Oster added 16. ... Ava Jackson had 35 assists and served three aces as Weiss swept Bastrop, Rihanna Bryant led the Wolfpack with 10 kills while Madison Amina added nine, and both Deja Carroll and Ryann Mendoza chipped in eight each. Ashley Go, Amina and Mendoza each had 10 digs with Mendoza and Calah Williams also serving four aces each.

Piper Poage doubled up with 13 kills and 12 digs while Chloe Frizzell had 10 digs and nine kills as Anderson swept East View 25-19, 25-21, 25-21. Elaine Harrison had 33 assists, 13 digs, four kills and two aces for the Trojans while Bailey Santos added 14 digs and Julyana Harris and Brooklyn Vazquez combined for seven more kills.

Class 4A playoff update

Defending state champion Wimberley unloaded on game but outgunned Manor New Tech 25-10, 25-13, 25-10. Lilli Sandoval led the Texans with 15 kills and four aces. Skylar Herring record 20 assists while Ashton Shipman had six digs. ... Gateway College Prep swept Lorena 25-22, 25-13, 25-19 and Lago Vista continued to roll as the Vikings beat Fredericksburg 25-20, 25-19, 18-25, 25-20.

Tuesday's area playoffs

Class 6A

Division I — Johnson vs. Los Fresnos (5 p.m., Rockport-Fulton); Lake Travis vs. S.A. O’Connor (7:30 p.m., Johnson); DII — Austin High vs. S.A. Harlan (5:30 p.m., Seguin); Dripping Springs vs. S.A. Clark (5:30 p.m., Johnson)

Class 5A

Division I —Weiss vs. Victoria West (6 p.m., Luling); Anderson vs. Victoria East (7:30 p.m., Seguin); Hendrickson vs. Fort Bend Kemper, TBA; DII — Cedar Park vs. S.A. Edison (7 p.m., Dripping Springs); Liberty Hill vs. S.A. McCollum, TBA; Georgetown vs. Galena Park, TBA

Class 4A

Division I — Marble Falls vs. Almeta Crawford, TBA; DII — Wimberley vs. Geronimo Navarro (7 p.m., Smithson Valley); Gateway College Prep vs. Sealy, TBA

Class 2A

Division I — Johnson City vs. Skidmore-Tynan (6 p.m., Pleasonton); DII — Granger vs. Shiner, TBA

Following a grueling regular season that started in late August and lasted 11 weeks, teams that qualified for the postseason begin, this week, what they hope are long journeys that see them playing at AT&T Stadium in mid-December for state championships.

But what Central Texas teams have the best chance for extended runs, or even just get to the regional semifinals?

American-Statesman high school sports reporters Rick Cantu and Colby Gordon answer the pressing playoff questions surrounding Austin-area teams and give insight into who'll still be practicing on Thanksgiving.

Thursday

Class 6A: DII — Vista Ridge at Dripping Springs

Class 5A: DII — S.A. Lanier at Liberty Hill

Class 4A: DI — Eastside at S.A. Davenport, Lampasas at Lake View

Class 2A: DI — Thorndale vs. Moody (Temple)

Friday

Class 6A: DI — Bowie at Hutto, Round Rock vs. Lake Travis (Kelly Reeves); DII — Westlake at Vandegrift

Class 5A: DI — Burleson Centennial at Georgetown, Weiss at La Porte, East View at Midlothian, Tyler John Tyler at Cedar Park (Gupton); DII — Pflugerville at S.A. Sam Houston (Alamo), Connally at S.A. Jefferson (SAISD)

Class 4A: DI — Fredericksburg at LBJ (Nelson), Somerset at Manor New Tech (House Park), Taylor vs. Canyon Lake (Lockhart); DII — Wimberley vs. Carrizo Springs (Von Ormy)

Saturday

Class 5A: DI — Friendswood at Anderson (House Park)

What 2 teams could surprise with long playoff runs?

Cantu: I watched Liberty Hill dismantle Bastrop last week and was impressed. The Slot-T worked for more than 400 yards and the defense led by lineman Alister Vallejo was dominant. Next, I'll take Cedar Park. The offense is averaging 52 points during its four-game winning streak. The defense needs to pick it up.

Gordon: Hutto and Weiss. The Hippos have an offense that can hang with anyone in the region and one of Central Texas’ best players in wideout and defensive back Jaiden Fields. If their defense can provide a turnover and a few stops, they’ll win most games. And considering the Wolves a “surprise” might be a stretch, but they’re arguably the best No. 4 seed in the state. If they beat La Porte in the first round, look for them to be playing past Thanksgiving.

Besides Vandegrift vs Westlake, what's the best first-round matchup?

Cantu: For me it's Vista Ridge-Dripping Springs. Vista Ridge's three losses have been by a total of 15 points. As for Dripping Springs, this is one of the best Tigers teams in school history.

Gordon: Pflugerville vs. San Antonio Sam Houston. The Panthers are a dangerous No. 4 seed, so this isn't a typical matchup of a district champion versus a team that snuck into the playoffs. Pflugerville was in this position a year ago and defeated a district champion as part of an 8-4 season. Expect Pflugerville to pull the upset again and be playing next week.

What class does Central Texas have the best chance in?

Cantu: With Lake Travis, Dripping Springs and Westlake, I have to go with 6A. I see all three of them going at least four rounds. Westlake might be a sneaky pick in Division II.

Gordon: Class 4A. LBJ is going to be a tough out in Division I and Wimberley seems to have a very good chance to win another regional title in Division II. Both of these teams are used to playing deep into the postseason.

What district winner has the toughest route to the semifinals?

Cantu: I'll say Anderson. The Trojans have never been a state power, but this is their best team in years. A lot will depend the Caleb Crenshaw, the best running back in the area this year.

Gordon: Vandegrift. The Vipers would have to beat Westlake and probably San Antonio Brandeis, San Marcos and Dripping Springs to reach the semifinals. That’s an absolutely brutal slate.

Who's a player that will be key in the postseason?

Cantu: Georgetown won't go anywhere unless Jett Walker is at his best. He averaged 196 yards a game in 2024. He missed a few games early this year with an injury, but he should be at his best when Friday rolls around.

Gordon: Dripping Springs quarterback Chase Ames. Arguably the breakout player of the year in Central Texas — he’s thrown for 2,429 yards and 33 touchdowns — he’ll need to continue his impressive season if the Tigers want to play into December.

Who has the best chance of making it to a title game?

Cantu: Liberty Hill has won state twice and it won't surprise me if the Panthers go again. It's hard to stop a team that averages 480 yards on the ground. David Seaborn has a chance for coach of the year honors in his first season at Liberty Hill.

Gordon: Lake Travis. The Cavs are loaded and should roll into the state semifinals unchallenged in Class 6A Division I. All that stands between them and being in AT&T Stadium is whoever wins Region III.