The Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial Eagles will head out to face off against the Vela Sabercats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial 14.1, Vela 8.4) so any points scored will be well earned.
Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Flour Bluff just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Friday. They took a 31-20 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Hornets. The contest was a 14-14 toss-up at halftime, but the Eagles couldn't quite close it out.
Despite the loss, Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial got top-tier performance from Andrew Charlebois, who picked up 116 receiving yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for 54 yards and one TD. Charlebois showed off some serious burst, connecting on a big catch for 69 yards.
Even if they lost, Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial's defensive line still kept up the pressure with five sacks. Luis Torres refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself. Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial got some further help from Torres: he picked up 1.5 sacks and made ten total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Vela got themselves on the board against Rio Grande City on Friday, but Rio Grande City never followed suit. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 56-0 win over the Rattlers. That 56 point margin sets a new team best for the Sabercats this season.
Vela's win came from a few key players Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Tyler Ruiz, who threw for 169 yards and three TDs, and also punched in one rushing score. George Fauls was in the mix too, providing Vela with two scores.
The victory made it two in a row for Vela and bumps their season record up to 8-2. Those wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 12 points in those games. As for Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-3.
Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial was able to grind out a solid victory over Vela in their previous matchup back in November of 2022, winning 14-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
