Pictures: Softball State Championships

USTIN, Texas — Texas junior quarterback Quinn Ewers declared for the NFL draft on Wednesday, ending a Longhorns career in which he led the program to a Big 12 championship and twice to the College Football Playoff but was not always embraced by a fan base eagerly waiting for Arch Manning to take over. Ewers passed for 9,128 yards and 68 touchdowns in a career that few Texas quarterbacks can match.

Each month in Colorado, and every season, offers a chance to experience something that is definitively of this place. Sometimes this means a local festival or annual event, but often it’s just planning to take advantage of the season and be wowed. Here’s an adventure agenda for you — with a few suggested alternates and fun add-ons: January: Ice climbing in Ouray There’s no better place to fully embrace winter than in Ouray, especially during the annual Ouray Ice Festival.

Richard Weber III proudly comes from a long line of Western Slope ranchers, and on a recent bluebird day with subfreezing temperatures, he looked the part. Standing amidst a crowd at the Ouray County Fairgrounds, Weber wore a red button-down shirt and blue jeans with a sparkling silver belt buckle. On his feet, however, were a pair of ski boots. For nine years Weber has organized the San Juan Skijoring competition, comprised of races in which skiers and snowboarders pulled by horses aim to complete an obstacle course made of snow.

Four Colorado Buffaloes quarterbacks have been drafted into the NFL. Shedeur Sanders looks to make it five in April. The fourth of Coach Prime’s five children is expected to be one of the first players taken in the draft, according to national experts. If projections come to fruition, he’ll be the first CU quarterback taken in the first round. The other four drafted?

The Colorado Avalanche’s power play had a very bad Tuesday night, and the head coach called it the least of his worries. That’s how little Jared Bednar thought of his team’s performance — even if the result ended up being much better than the process. Devon Toews scored with 36.1 seconds left in overtime and the Avalanche rallied for a 3-2 win against the New York Rangers at Ball Arena. “Hey, we’ll take the points, but yeah … unimpressive,” Bednar said.

The Chicago Bears interviewed Broncos senior personnel executive David Shaw for their head coach opening on Tuesday, the team announced. Shaw completed his first season in Denver after joining the team’s personnel department last June.  Shaw has college and NFL coaching experience. The 52-year-old served as Stanford’s head coach from 2011-22. Before that, he spent time as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens. Shaw was among the group of coaches who interviewed for the Broncos head coach job after the team fired Nathaniel Hackett late in 2022 — a gig that eventually went to Sean Payton. Shaw is not the only Denver staffer to be looked for a head coaching job. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is expected to interview with the Las Vegas Raiders for their open head coaching job, a source told The Post.