LOS FRESNOS — From the game’s opening drive, Edinburg Vela Caidyn Hoover made his presence felt.

The SaberCats two-way star came up with the game’s first two tackles, including a big hit in the back field on second down.

Hoover was only getting started.

Four plays later, the senior was sprinting his way to the end zone for a 59-yard pick-6, giving the Falcons an early 7-0 lead.

The defensive touchdown was a sign of things to come, with Hoover accounting for all of Edinburg Vela’s touchdowns during a 49-42 win over the Falcons on Friday at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium in Los Fresnos. Hoover finished with four passing touchdowns, two rushing and one defensive touchdown during the win.

“We just got to keep our heads down and don’t get above ourselves,” Hoover said. “We need to stay humble. Humble win tonight, but we move on.”

Hoover’s interception return for a touchdown got Edinburg Vela going early, with the defense forcing three straight punts, while the offense scored on three straight drives to take a 28-0 lead early in the second.

The SaberCats quarterback threw touchdown passes on two of those three drives, while adding a 51-yard touchdown run of his own. Senior Ryan Rodriguez was on the receiving end of Hoover’s first touchdown pass, with George Fauls hauling in the second.

“Those guys are amazing teammates,” Hoover said. “Not just in football, but outside of it too. They’re amazing people. They’re always trustworthy and super reliable.”

The Falcons clawed their way back into the contest despite the four-touchdown hole, with running back Tyler Stachowiak accounting for three straight touchdowns during the second quarter to make it 28-21.

The senior scored on runs of 1, 14 and 18 yards during the period, two of which came after forced turnovers by the defense.

"We knew we couldn’t give it up to a Los Fresnos team with the culture, community and everything they offer,” Edinburg Vela head coach Sean Landez said. “We knew when we added them to the schedule it wasn’t going to be easy. The kids prepared. They understood their assignments. Kudos to Los Fresnos and that coaching staff and everybody else along that community. And kudos to our kids. They came out and fought to the end. It’s a game of inches.”

The Falcons offensive surge was answered with a two-touchdown run of their own by the SaberCats, adding to their lead on a one-yard touchdown run by Hoover before the break, followed by his third touchdown pass of the night to start the third, finding Fauls once against to make it 42-21.

Los Fresnos wouldn’t go away, however, making it a one-score game once again with back-to-back touchdowns, including a 46-yard run by senior quarterback Evan McChesney.

A 12-play, 95-yard drive by the SaberCats on the ensuing drive seemed to put the nail in the coffin, with Hoover finding Rodriguez for a second time to make it 49-35 with less than five minutes remaining.

The Falcons continued to show fight, however, cutting it back down to seven on McChesney’s second rushing touchdown of the night, followed by a defensive stop to give the Falcons one last chance to tie the game.

The tie would never come, however, with Edinburg Vela stopping a McChesney scramble five yards short of the end zone to secure the 49-42 road win.

“I think we bounced back good,” Fauls said. “It wasn’t a pretty win. Feel like we should have won by a lot more. We have a lot of things to pick up, but we’ll be better next week.”

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