The State Fair of Texas’ planned gun ban would help ensure fairgoers’ safety, boost law enforcement’s ability to respond to problems and encourage more people to attend a great annual event.

So, of course, our ethically challenged attorney general is opposing it. We say to city leaders and leaders of the State Fair: Please take Paxton to court because this fight is worth it, not only for our wonderful fair but for all Texans who want safe public spaces.

This newspaper has long supported the Second Amendment right to own firearms. Responsible gun ownership deserves fierce legal protection against those who would see that right removed.

But no right is absolute, and that is how Texas conservatives like Ken Paxton have treated gun ownership. The State Fair is the sort of place where personal guns don’t belong.

There is a long tradition of such limitations. Guns aren’t allowed at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Dallas Cowboys games, Six Flags and many other public settings. There’s no good reason for a non-peace officer to be carrying a gun at the fair, a family-friendly event expected to draw 2 million visitors.

Fair officials announced the new policy last week, saying that it was no longer allowing licensed gun owners to carry their weapons into the park. Previously the fair prohibited guns with the exception of people with a valid handgun license, provided the gun was concealed.

This commonsense change was prompted in large part by last year’s shooting in the fair’s food court. Three people were injured in a scary incident reminiscent of a 1988 shooting that killed one person and injured three others, including a police officer.

Fair officials have rightly prioritized safety above everything else at the fair since that terrible day. Last year’s shooting was the first at the fair since then, and fair officials have once again enhanced their security plan.

You’d think our state elected officials would applaud and support this effort. Instead, dozens of Republican lawmakers immediately clapped back against the fair’s new gun ban, saying it runs afoul of the Second Amendment.

They falsely say that a gun ban would make patrons more vulnerable to crime. Well, the criminals can’t bring their guns either, and the fair is teeming with trained police who do a great job keeping it safe.

Paxton argues that this ban violates state law allowing firearms on government property. But clearly there are many sensible exceptions to that. Schools. Courthouses. The Dallas Zoo, which like Fair Park is owned by the city but managed by a private nonprofit, also does not allow guns on its grounds. And how about the stadiums in Arlington? The State Fair is no different.

Paxton is an extremist whose views on long-established gun restrictions — the sort that have been in place since the days of the Wild West, by the way — are out of line with most Texans.

He has ordered the city of Dallas to change the gun ban policy within 15 days or he’ll “see them in court.” His bullying needs an answer, and it should be “We’ll see you there.”

We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com

Once all the Texas high school football state champions were crowned last December, SBLive then went to work choosing the top players in the state.

We subsequently released all-region teams for each of the state’s six regions, from North Texas to East Texas, to Southeast Texas, West Texas and South Texas. And of course, Central Texas.

The SBLive all-Central Texas team for 2023 was compiled by our SBLive correspondent, Ryan Childers.

>> Charting Vandegrift’s rise to Texas high school football power: ‘Tradition really matters’

Now, with the upcoming season fast approaching, we’re taking a look at the top returners in Central Texas.

Here is every SBLive all-Central Texas honoree returning in Texas this fall:

ALL-CENTRAL TEXAS SELECTIONS RETURNING IN 2024

Award winners

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Chad Warner, QB, Cibolo-Steele, sr.

As a junior, the Knights’ gunslinger led his team to a 6A Division II state semifinal appearance and a District 27 championship. Warner – who recently committed to UTEP – had a great year under center for the Knights, tossing 36 passing touchdowns and threw for 3,547 yards, while setting eight different school records in the process. He also added five touchdowns with his feet and 204 rushing yards.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Bradley Sowersby, RB, Smithson Valley, sr.

The Ranger running back made a name for himself as one of the top backs in the area. As the lead back for the Smithson Valley offense, Sowersby racked up 1,134 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns in 2023 while averaging over six yards per carry. He helped his Rangers reach the Class 5A Division I state championship for the first time in 20 years.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Hank Hendrix, QB, Boerne, soph.

As a freshman, Hendrix came in relief for the injured junior Jaxon Baize and helped lead Boerne to a second consecutive district championship. Hendrix accounted for 1,586 yards and tossed 18 touchdowns to just one interception.

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

Cole Pryor, RB, San Antonio Reagan, sr.

Pryor propelled the Rattlers offense all season long, finishing with 1,556 rushing yards and 23 total touchdowns, and will be back for one more round this season. 

Jalen Cooper, WR, Cibolo-Steele, sr.

Cooper set the record for touchdown receptions in the state last year, hauling in 23 TDs on 63 total receptions and totaled 1,578 receiving yards to help Steele sweep to a District 27-6A title and 6A Division II state semifinal appearance.

Logan Schram, OL, Boerne, sr.

Schram is the leader on an offensive line nicknamed ‘The Great Wall of Boerne.’ He will be a four-year starter on varsity, and has yet to allow a sack in the previous three years. He holds multiple FBS offers and helped the Greyhounds rush for 2,369 yards this season.

DEFENSE

Hudson Woods, DE, Smithson Valley, jr.

As a sophomore, Woods burst onto the scene by helping lead the Rangers to the state finals. On the season, the sophomore totaled 67 tackles with 14 sacks, 16 QB hurries, three forced fumbles, and 29 tackles for a loss.

Elliot Schaper, LB, Austin Westlake, sr.

A Duke commit, Schaper was named District 26-6A Defensive MVP. He tallied 108 tackles (13 for loss), nine sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

>> How Austin Westlake, national high school football power, prepares for another photo finish

SPECIAL TEAMS

Michael Terry, ATH, Alamo Heights, jr.

The do-it-all four-star athlete for the Mules never leaves the field and stars as quarterback, running back, receiver, returner, and as a defensive back. Offensively last season, he tallied 1,531 all-purpose yards and 31 total touchdowns, while defensively he had 15 tackles with one pick-six.

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

Cody Stoever, QB, Wimberley, sr.

4,577 total yards and 73 total touchdowns

DEFENSE

Connor Vasek, DE, Austin Westlake, sr.

27 tackles, three sacks.

Braden Bays, DT, Boerne, sr.

53 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 8 QB hurries.

Braylen Wortham, DB, College Station, sr.

8 interceptions.

Peyton Matthews, ATH, San Antonio Harlan, jr. 

1,223 all-purpose yards, 13 TDs.

Ty Bush, P, Boerne, sr.

20 punts, 38-yard average, 50-yard long, 8 punts pinned inside the 20 yard line.

HONORABLE MENTION

Jax Brown, QB, Pflugerville Weiss, sr.

Lorenn Johnson, RB, San Antonio Johnson, sr.

Brooks Perez, WR, Boerne, sr.

Jack Tyndall, RB, Dripping Springs, sr.

Jonathan Hatton, RB, Cibolo-Steele, jr.

Colton Chmelar, K, A&M Consolidated, sr.

Reece Dietrick, QB, New Braunfels Canyon, sr.

Barrett Fallon, RB, San Antonio Davenport, jr.

Isaiah Champagne, WR, San Antonio Pieper, sr.

Buck Ringgold | buck@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveTX 

Standing at just five feet, eight inches, and having 25 wide receivers ranked ahead of him in the 2024 transfer portal, it’s easy to overlook Silas Bolden. Literally.

The Oregon State transfer was one that could’ve felt like overkill for the Longhorn receiving core in 2024. With two higher-rated transfers, three notable sophomore returners, and a five-star freshman, the fifth-year pass-catcher felt a bit out of place in the group.

But, like clockwork in fall camp, an unexpected veteran has emerged for Texas, and people are talking about him. In 2023, reporters were feeding the Austin area tidbits of a 360-pound mammoth in the trenches looking to replace NFL-gone DT Keondre Coburn. Six months later, T’Vondre Sweat was an All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Though depth charts are far from confirmed, Bolden seems to have earned the graces of head coach Steve Sarkisian and quarterback Quinn Ewers, likely earning a starting spot in Week 1.

“When he first got here, I could just tell how much he cared about the game of football and how much he really wants to succeed,” Ewers said about Bolden. “He’s been balling out. It’s cool to see a guy like him do the things that he does.”

Bolden’s short stature is an anomaly for a receiver at this level of play. In the last three years in the NFL, just two players have recorded over 600 receiving yards in a single year while being shorter than 5’9, and neither eclipsed the 700-yard mark. Despite this, Bolden carved out a strong year for himself in 2023, still corralling 54 catches for 746 yards, 14th in the Pac-12 despite OSU throwing the second-fewest passes per game in the conference.

Bolden profiles most similar to Keilan Robinson from the 2023 team with Robinson’s shorter stature and incredible burst. Bolden will likely see more snaps and will play much more out wide, but Sarkisian will likely include him in similar plays that Robinson saw. Bolden is great at getting deep downfield, but will also be a weapon in the screen, drag, and even out of the backfield. (Watch his highlights against Utah if you aren’t convinced)

“He makes strong catches. He’s a heck of a ballplayer, and he may be little, but he has some heart,” veteran cornerback Jahdae Barron said. “He has a lot of heart to him (and) I love (Bolden) in routes.”

If there’s anyone who has had to endure the speed and quickness of Bolden, it’s Barron. Barron’s primary position as a nickel cornerback means he plays most of practice guarding slot receivers, which Bolden is expected to work out of in the fall.

Despite a loaded receiving group, Bolden adds something that few other players possess. Leadership and experience. The entire receiving core is either a junior, sophomore, or freshman, and Bolden is the only player to have spent more than three years in college football already. Though it took later in his career to see meaningful snaps, Bolden has embodied the culture and mentality that Sarkisian has brought to Texas: and plans to win with.

Later in the same media availability, Ewers described Bolden’s leadership and energy on display. Working in the ‘Red Zone Lockout’ drill, where the offense competes against the defense to score from inside the red zone, Bolden’s offense took the win in the drill, but not at the hands of the short route-runner. Juan Davis, a fourth-year tight end who looks to be primarily a backup in 2024, caught the game-winner, and the most prominent man in celebration was Bolden.

“Silas (Bolden) ran over to him, he’s like jumping on (Davis) and firing him up,” Ewers said about the drill. “You love to see things like that. Silas didn’t get the ball, he didn’t need to go over there and celebrate with Juan. But, you know, he does that. It’s those types of things that really fire you up.”

Bolden seems to have already assimilated himself into the culture and dynamic that this 2024 Longhorns team looks to play with, and getting in good graces with your quarterback means you’ll be seeing the field. Despite him being the shortest player on the field, expect Bolden to make immediate and noticeable impacts both as a teammate and as a pass catcher in this explosive Longhorn offense.