Hoover propels SaberCats to victory over Raiders

EDINBURG — Edinburg Vela’s Caidyn Hoover didn’t plan on switching positions heading into the 2026 season. Just one year after leading the state in interceptions, the SaberCats senior was asked to move to quarterback for his final year.

Despite being reluctant at first, Hoover made the move for his team, stepping into the QB1 role for Vela.

Hoover’s move paid dividends Thursday, leading the SaberCats to a 42-40 win over the PSJA North Raiders during a non-district game at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg.

“I had to do it for the team,” Hoover said. “I didn’t want to move after what I did last year. Being able to move to quarterback though, it shows the type of player I am. It shows I can play anywhere on the field for the team.”

After a rough first quarter by the SaberCats offense, Hoover settled into a groove during the second, weaving his way through the Raiders’ defense before hurdling a defender into the end zone for his first rushing touchdown of the night.

The senior wasn’t done yet, adding a three-yard touchdown run later in the quarter and a 52-yard touchdown pass to senior George Fauls to send the game into the break with a 21-21 tie.

“I just wanted to come out and prove everybody wrong,” Hoover said. “I’ve always been doubted for being smaller and told I can’t compete with the bigger kids. They were the bigger kids tonight. For us to come out, for me to come out and play like I did, it shows it comes down to the type of player you are.”

Hoover picked right back up where he left on during the third, leading three scoring drives to give Edinburg Vela a 42-28 lead heading into the final frame.

The Vela’s two-way star accounted for all three of those scores, beginning with a 6-yard touchdown run to start the quarter, followed by touchdown passes of 65- and 22-yards to end the period.

Hoover’s biggest play of the night, however, came during PSJA North’s final offensive possession, getting his fingertips on a pass from Drayden Espinoza to Jaxon Evans to force the incompletion on a 2-point attempt and keep the SaberCats on top 42-40 late in the fourth.

The dual-threat quarterback did the rest on the ensuing possession, chewing up the rest of the clock to secure the upset victory at home.

“The kid (Hoover) is such an instinctual player,” Edinburg Vela Head Coach Sean Landez said. “He’s a very humble kid. He’s an amazing individual on and off the field. We try to cultivate to win with class and lose with class. With him at quarterback now and being the leader, he has to make sure he’s upholding that outside of the football field. Just making sure we stay humble, stay hungry and continue to work every single day. He’s continued to lead this team and take accountability for the mistakes. Obviously, whenever we do good things, we praise him.”

PSJA North’s loss is its first to an RGV opponent in the regular season since 2021 and just second overall since 2023 when the Brownsville Veterans Chargers took down the Raiders in the postseason.

They’ll look to bounce back on the road against Weslaco High (2-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco.

The SaberCats have now won back-to-back games after a 10-7 loss to Corpus Christi Veterans to open the season. They’ll look to keep rolling against Edcouch-Elsa at 7:00 p.m Thursday at home.