Real Estate Photographer in Cedar Park, TX

CEDAR PARK — With Texas high school football beginning next week, the American-Statesman is ranking the top 10 teams in Central Texas.

In 2024, one local team was crowned a state champion. Could that number go up this season? The road to AT&T Stadium for the UIL title games is around the corner. The poll is derived from rankings by three local preps reporters and an editor.

Our No. 10 team this season is Round Rock and No. 9 are the Dripping Springs Tigers. At No. 8 is Weiss, followed by No. 7 Georgetown, with Bastrop coming in at No. 6 and Liberty Hill at No. 5.

Our No. 4 is perennial contender Cedar Park, which hopes to come on strong after a rough season (by its standard) in 2024. With the return of 14 starters, including running back Trae Hill, expectations are high for the Timberwolves.

Here's more on the Timberwolves:

No. 5 Cedar Park

Three things about the Timberwolves, who went 6-5 last year and lost 35-21 to Red Oak in the bi-district round of the Class 5A Division I playoffs:

Perhaps no Cedar Park player is looking forward to the season more than running back Trae Hill, who rushed for 608 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior despite missing the last five games with a broken toe. There were high hopes for Hill after he ran for 1,248 yards and was named Central Texas' offensive player of the year by the American-Statesman as a sophomore.

"The kid's been hungry since the season ended," head coach Michael Quintero said this week. "He's one of the most motivated players we've got; he's probably our biggest leader, even though he's been told all along that he can't play college football. They say it's because he can't do this or he can't do that. And he's going to prove everybody wrong. He's a Division I running back."

Hill is keeping his options open as far as playing at the next level. He has multiple scholarship offers, including from Houston, Texas State, Air Force, Lamar and Fordham.

Another strength this year is an offensive line that returns four starters: Jacob Slaughter, Brock Bungo, John Huling and Zachary Gfeller. By contrast, the offense often played with six sophomores on the field at the same time last year.

It also helps to have an established quarterback. David Cooper was stellar a sophomore, contributing 2,181 passing yards and 20 touchdowns and rushing for 574 yards.

"He was a great quarterback last year," Quintero said. "He did some things that a sophomore shouldn't be doing. He's going to be great this year and he's showing more confidence as a varsity quarterback. One thing he's improved on is becoming more of a vocal player."

Cedar Park had to work harder than most teams in 2024, at least in the beginning. The Timberwolves opened the season with a 45-43 loss to Harker Heights that took five overtimes and a 49-46 win over eventual Class 6A DII state champion Vandegrift that went into double overtime. The first two games this year will be against Harker Heights and Vandegrift.

Does Quintero take comfort from being the only team to beat Vandegrift last year?

"It's good rivalry game, but do we hang our hat on that? No," he said. "Because you saw we lost to Huntsville the week after we beat Vandegrift. That's a team I felt like we should have beat and we didn't. I tell my players to move forward. Don't hang out hat on certain games. Being Cedar Park, we know we're going to get everybody's best game."

Key game: Georgetown (Nov. 7)

The two best teams (at least on paper) in District 8-5A DI collide on the last night of the regular season. Nothing short of a district championship and favorable playoff seed could be on the line. Georgetown prevailed 31-7 last year 31-7 at Cedar Park, as the Eagles' Jett Walker ran for four touchdowns. This year's game is in Georgetown.

Cedar Park news and notes

We'll be seeing a lot less of Quintero this year. Literally. The coach reports that he has lost "100-plus" pounds over the past year, mainly by watching his diet. He's down to a svelte 225 pounds, a far cry from the 300-plus pounds he carried last season. "I did it for health; I've got two young kids at home and I've got to come out and perform for these kids, too," he said. "If health prevents me from doing my job, I'm not giving these kids everything I've got." ... There should be improvement on the defensive side of the ball, too, with the return of LB Jahiem Porter (125 tackles), DL Brooks Bouffard (48 tackles, 3 sacks), LB Jacori Sims (25 tackles), DL Olujimi Aluko (30 tackles, 5 sacks) and DB Hayden Hollander (26 tackles). ... All told, Cedar Park has seven returning starters on offense and seven on defense. And three of last year's four team captains — Cooper, Hill and Porter — return. ... The Timberwolves won state championships in 2012 and 2015.

CEDAR PARK — The toughest opponent wide receiver Jamal Porter has faced throughout his life sleeps on the other side of the hall.

Before they were football players, Jamal and twin brother Jahiem competed against other daily. Football. Basketball. Track. Wrestling. Or maybe it was just to see who would be the first to reach the front door of the house. After all, sibling rivalries can get a little testy.

As seniors at Cedar Park, which is ranked No. 4 in the American-Statesman's annual top-10 preseason list of the best teams in Central Texas, the Porters are still feisty. But they now fight for the same cause. They just happen to be two of the leaders of a team that aspires to make a deep playoff run in December.

Jahiem is one of the best linebackers in the Austin area. He recorded 117 tackles, 14 behind the line of scrimmage, for the Timberwolves in 2024. Jamal is on the fast track to becoming an excellent wideout. He led all Cedar Park receivers in catches (42), receiving yards (579) and receiving touchdowns (five) last fall.

The brothers have a mutual respect for each other.

"In the house, you compete against each other as soon as you wake up," Jaheim said. "There's something you're always competing against. I can't just wake up and say I'm going to take the day off today. I don't think I'd be where I'm at without (Jamal). I get up now wanting to perfect my craft because someone wants to beat you every single day."

Said Jamal: "(Jahiem) is a big guy (6-foot-1, 220), pretty strong. You have to run away from him. He's made me faster. It's competitive, but we've never beat each other up."

At least not at home.

Cedar Park hunting for UIL glory

On the football field, Jahiem has taken a no-mercy approach against everybody, including his brother. So, what does it feel like when Jahiem delivers a big hit?

"It feels like you've just run 3 miles and there's a sharp pain in your liver," Jamal said.

Cedar Park coach Michael Quintero said the Wolves are lucky to have both of the brothers. They lead by example and are vocal on the field. He also said the twins have different personalities.

"They're totally different from each other," Quintero told the Statesman. "I'd said Jahiem is more serious, Jamal more laid back."

Cedar Park (6-5 last year) should be much improved, the coach said. The Porters will have a major impact on the season, but they have plenty of support on both sides of the football. Quintero points to an offensive line that returns four starters while the defensive front seven are "very solid."

As for the Porters, there is another reason to be excited about the 2025 season. The seniors know this is their final chance to chase high school glory. They want to establish their own imprints at a school that won state championships in 2012 and 2015.

"We're trying to get a ring this year," Jahiem said. "Our chemistry is crazy this year. It's just different. We have a special bond. It's all about the present and the future right now, not the past. We're trying to leave our own mark, our own legacy."

A lofty goal and looking for someone to hit

Jamal aspires to finish his high school career with his first 1,000-yard season. He certainly has a chance, considering the Timberwolves have returning starting quarterback David Cooper, a 6-foot-4, 210-junior who threw 20 touchdowns as a sophomore. He predicted Jamal will reach the 1,000-yard mark.

"He's 100% worthy," Cooper said. "Last year we built chemistry each and every day. This year I feel like I'm comfortable enough to know where he's going to be and where he's going to want the ball."

Jahiem, meanwhile, said he's tired of hitting players in practice. He wants to swap helmet paint with players from other teams. It'll start with a home game against Harker Heights, which outlasted the Timberwolves last year in five overtimes.

Jahiem banged his helmet several times with the side of his fist when speaking Tuesday about the opener.

"We've been waiting for someone else to hit," he said. "That first game of the season, I feel bad for Harker Heights."

Look out, H-E-B: A new grocery store is in town! Popular German grocery store chain Aldi is opening a new location in the Austin area, its latest move in expanding its presence in Central Texas.

Here's what to know

Aldi coming to Cedar Park

Aldi has plans to build a $1.75 million new store in Cedar Park just down the road from a H-E-B, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing. Construction on the nearly 24,000-square-foot store is slated to begin Sept. 22 and be completed in February. The Austin Business Journal reports that Aldi will sit on a former Big Lots property.

The project will involve replacing the building's sign and siding, adding or relocating openings, and installing a new freezer, cooler, HVAC system and electricity package as typical components of an Aldi store.

Where will the new Aldi be?

Aldi will prepare a new store at 350 N. Bell Blvd, Suite 104, per the TDLR filing. Just across East Whitestone Boulevard is a H-E-B, one of three Cedar Park locations. Plus Trader Joe's, which originated from the same German business as Aldi, has a potential store location less than two miles down the boulevard.

How many Aldi, H-E-B stores does Texas have?

While Aldi hasn't officially confirmed the new Cedar Park location, it would align with the chain's U.S. expansion. The company's current five-year growth strategy involves opening more than 800 new stores by the end of 2028. Of those, 200 will open this year — more than any other grocery store chain, according to The New York Times.

There are currently 2,567 Aldi locations in the U.S., per the chain's website. This year's planned openings would make it the third-largest supermarket chain according to number of stores, behind Kroger and Walmart. Texas claims the fifth-most Aldi locations among U.S. states, with 128 stores.

Meanwhile, the Lone Star State is the only state with H-E-B stores, with a whopping 340 locations.

— Cristela Jones, My San Antonio, contributed to this report.

Eric Rauschuber, director of public works and utilities for Cedar Park, Texas, had a problem: His water workforce was aging and there wasn’t a pipeline of workers to take over their jobs. He already had unfilled positions because of service demands from his rapidly growing community, an Austin suburb.

This situation is common among local governments, responsible for the vast majority of drinking and wastewater systems. One in three water utility workers will be eligible to retire over the next decade, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Taking expansion into account, utilities are expected to need new workers for the majority of their 300,000 jobs over this period.

The outlook for Cedar Park began to change two years ago when Carrie Coble joined the city’s Human Resources Department, bringing decades of tech sector HR experience to her new job. As she began to assess the city’s needs, her attention was drawn to double-digit openings across its Public Works Department. Filling licensed operator positions was a particular challenge. Her first question was where the city went to recruit for these jobs.

“They had agencies that they worked with, and I thought, ‘Why aren’t we looking at high schools?’,” Coble says.

There would be some students who didn’t plan to go to college. If they could earn a provisional license before they graduated, they’d be on the path to a career with the city.

Building such a pipeline depended on a partnership with a local school, and Coble found a local educator whose enthusiasm for the project matched her own.

The city had reached out to the school district years ago for help getting young people interested in opportunities at water utilities, Rauschuber says, but the idea never gained traction.

It was a different story in 2023 when Coble connected with Sarah Spradling, a work-based learning specialist at the Leander Independent School District. Schools in Leander, about 10 miles from Cedar Park, serve young people from several Greater Austin communities, Cedar Park among them.

Spradling had recently come to the district as associate director of career and technical education. In her first week on the job, a meeting with city officials opened her eyes to the potential to build curriculum around water utility jobs. She took this up with Coble, who had reached out to her.

“We had students who were going to be seniors, who were looking for work opportunities to extend their learning and get high school credit for it at the same time,” says Spradling. “That's where this was a really perfect marriage.”

From the beginning, the intention was to offer students a paid apprenticeship, following a model used by both industry and federally funded programs. The end product would be both work experience and a provisional certification in water plant operations that would qualify apprentices for a job offer from the water utility.

Coble and Spradling developed curriculum that was accredited by the Leander Independent School District and and the Texas Education Agency. The water utility agreed to provide funding for an initial group of three apprentices. Applicants would be selected through the same application and interview process used to hire full-time employees.

Coble and Spradling got to work developing marketing and branding materials that would attract applicants.

There were some basic requirements. Students needed to be entering their senior year, commit to a minimum of 30 hours a week to their apprenticeship and be 18 by the time they completed it. Interviews took place in May and June 2024, each preceded by a tour of the utility. The three students who were selected began their apprenticeships in August.

The utility field crews were excited to have young people around them that they could teach and train, Rauschuber says. “The kids just absorb everything,” he says. “Even if they want to learn a piece of equipment that may not be in their normal job duties, we will train them.”

Public Works staff supervised on-the-job training as well as students’ study periods devoted to certification curriculum. The program ran through May of this year. All three apprentices were offered jobs at the utility, and all accepted.

The students who participated told Spradling that the experience helped them better understand the role of city government, and public works in particular. “They felt there was so much value in giving back to their community, that without that department the city could not function,” she says.

Next year, the program will be expanded to six apprentices, and Coble is already seeing “double digit” preregistration for interviews due to word of mouth.

City jobs were not on her radar before this partnership, Spradling says. As Coble walked her through all the types of professionals that the city employs, it became clear that the district could partner with the city for virtually all its career and technical education programs. “It was hugely eye-opening,” she says.

A recently enacted Texas bill allows high school students to spend two days of their junior and senior years doing job shadowing. Spradling launched a program to send them to shadow Cedar Park workers. Leander city leaders took notice and asked to be included in this.

Cedar Park has also offered a summer externship to Leander educators to help them gain a better understanding of job opportunities at the city and the skills its HR department is looking for in applicants. This training encompasses the city’s onboarding and interview process, so teachers can help students be better prepared to apply.

There have been some hiccups, Spradling says, but the close collaboration with the city and Coble’s perseverance overcame them. It took time to work out the right way to market the program to students. This starts with getting district educators on board, they found, including tours of the Public Works Department so they had firsthand exposure to its operations and the work students would do.

Spradling remains struck by the satisfaction the first apprentices expressed in having jobs with purpose, something that is important to Gen Z. “That makes me feel good about directing students to this type of work,” she says.

Rauschuber notes that the jobs he and his colleagues are working to fill offer something else that is valuable at this time: stability.

Some of the apprentices asked for a month off before they began their jobs.

“We said, ‘That’s fine.’ We’ve been here since 1973,” he says. “We’re not leaving.”

On the northern outskirts of Austin, Cedar Park has quickly turned into a booming suburban community. With its population jumping nearly 59% and going from 49,000 residents in 2010 to over 77,000 people calling the city home in 2020, it's clearly become a favorite of those wanting a little more leg room.

The city has long been attracting visitors and newfound residents courtesy the likes of developments like the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, the city-owned sports and entertainment arena that opened in September 2009 with a sold-out performance from beloved country music artist George Strait. The venue houses roughly 130 events annually, city officials noted, including the Texas Stars and the Austin Spurs.

As Cedar Park has blossomed, so, too has its development scene, running in tandem with Austin's as more companies set up shop across the metro. The city touts existing developments and economic powerhouses courtesy national and regional headquarters for companies like Firefly Aerospace, ABEO, James Avery Artisan Jewelry and the upcoming home of baseball and softball scouting organization Perfect Game.

When reviewing development documents registered between June 2024 and June 2025, MySA recorded dozens of large-scale projects that'll continually amplify the city's economic development efforts as well as accommodate its growing population. Leading the charge on that front is a $95 million Cedar Park Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, set to be located at 2155 Cedarview Drive, Cedar Park, TX 78613.

According to filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the upcoming hotel and convention center have been incorporated into project plans for CedarView, an upcoming mixed-use development in the city. The site will feature a nearly 300-room hotel, a 30,000-square-foot event and meeting space, a full-service restaurant, a cafe and a pool area, according to project details. Construction on the new hotel and convention center is expected to run through early 2027, MySA previously reported.

It's not the only hotel project slated for the city. Cedar Park is poised to welcome a five-story, 120-room New Residence Inn by Marriott hotel at 1410 Main St., Cedar Park, TX 78613. The estimated $15 million, 104,000-square-foot project also includes a roughly 1,450-square-foot meeting space as well as an outdoor pool, according to TDLR filings.

Within the entertainment and lifestyle sector, the North Austin suburb has attracted celebrity interest and luxury facilities to its portfolio. A national golf chain backed by Tiger Woods, PopStroke, is constructing a $5.8 million mini-golf and entertainment facility at 817 C-Bar Ranch Trail, Cedar Park, TX 78613. The 13,000-square-foot facility is tentatively set to wrap construction in April 2026, TDLR filings detailed, and will join PopsStroke's other Texas locations in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and College Station.

Looking for some relaxation and reprieve? A $5 million WorldSprings Austin spa development is underway at the northwest corner of East New Hope Drive and Scottsdale Drive in Cedar Park, with TDLR documents noting an estimated May 2026 project completion. A North Texas brand whose flagship is in The Colony near Dallas, WorldSprings' upcoming Cedar Park hot springs resort will include a 40,000-square-foot facility along with an estimated 40 pools.

All of this development news working up your appetite? You're in luck: Austin's homegrown taqueria chain, Tacodeli, will expand its way into the North Austin suburb, with an upcoming restaurant opening this summer at 1400 E. Whitestone Blvd., Cedar Park, TX 78613. However, the company's 15th location will bring its own unique flair, featuring Tacodeli's first drive-thru pickup lane for digital pre-orders.

"Our goal has always been to share our love of tacos with as many people as we can – and Cedar Park has been on our radar for quite a while,” founder Roberto Espinosa said in a statement.