Forward Times

With the offseason winding down and 2026 expectations firmly in place, Forward Times Sports Writer John Hickman is asking the question every Houston fan has already been thinking about: what would actually be surprising about this Texans team?

The ceiling for this team is real. Whether they reach it depends on the details.

Read the full analysis here: https://bit.ly/3PP4FYF

🗣️ Forward Fam, What would shock you most about the Texans in 2026? Share your take in the comments.

Long before anyone knew his name, Hype South was already doing the work.

He started in music — making beats, rapping, figuring things out — until he hit a ceiling and started looking for something that gave him more control.

He learned to edit by sitting in silence, watching someone else do it for hours.

He bought a Canon T5 Rebel and shot whatever was in front of him just to learn the camera.

He walked into Mathew Knowles' office as a young man and saw Grammys and Nickelodeon blimps on the wall and realized for the first time what the craft could actually look like at its highest level.

He got three-quarters of the way through his own film — a full cast, real music, real work — and stopped. He sold it, and said he wanted to get better before he put his name on it.

That's who Hype South is. A filmmaker who has never been in a rush to arrive before he was ready.

Forward Times Cultural Writer DeVaughn Douglas traces the full journey — from the beginning all the way to the Cypress set of Don't Miss the Bus, dropping in June.

Read the full feature here: https://bit.ly/439tzVS

Fort Bend ISD transformed River Pointe Church's Richmond campus into something that looked and felt far more like a professional awards show than a school ceremony — and that was entirely the point.

The 4th Annual FAB Awards brought together student athletes, coaches, family members and community supporters to honor the district's best across every sport imaginable, from football and basketball to water polo, swim and dive, golf, soccer, cheer and cross country.

Students arrived in floor-length gowns and tailored suits, walked a red carpet, and took their seats at elegantly arranged tables in front of a stage lit for a moment that many of them will carry for the rest of their lives.

Serving as emcee was Jarren Small, Co-Founder and CEO of Legends Do Live and Director of Strategic Partnerships for Forward Times — himself a Fort Bend ISD product and Hightower High School standout — who brought energy and heart to every envelope he opened throughout the night.

But the most powerful moments weren't the awards. They were the stories.

A student who fought back from a serious injury. A young man who lost his mother and his coach during his senior season. A coach who shared her battle with lupus and her journey toward building a family.

These are the stories that remind us why we invest in young people in the first place.

Read the full article by Chelsea Lenora Small here: https://bit.ly/42XSewD

📸: Photos by Simon Silva