Friday Night Lights debuts at CSUEB

The first high school football showcase of the season at California State University, East Bay on Friday was a lopsided contest before it even started.

Hayward High School came into the game 4-5 overall, and fighting for a post-season berth, while at 1-8 the Arroyo Dons were playing for pride.

CSUEB titled the game “Friday Night Lights” and the Farmers (5-5, 4-2) delivered, lighting up the Dons (1-9, 0-6) by a final score of 35-6.

“Big win guys. Huge,” Hayward junior quarterback Juni Moi Moi said.

Moi Moi was dominant for the Farmers completing 50 percent of his passes for 140 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 127 yards on just nine carries and another touchdown.

Moi Moi compiled a gaudy 119.8 quarterback rating and an average of over 14 yards per carry.

With the victory Hayward High clinched a playoff game but will have to take their act on the road to take on the high-scoring Concord Minutemen.

Concord is 9-2 on the season and has outscored its opponents by a huge margin of 458 to 176.

Senior Dakarai Collington also had a great night on the ground for Hayward amassing 50 yards on 10 carries.

Senior CJ Montgomery was the leading receiver for the Farmers nabbing five of Moi Moi’s passes for a total of 119 yards and two touchdowns.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Montgomery said after his second touchdown reception.

Montgomery leads Hayward in receiving this season with 51 catches for 944 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Moi Moi now has 1902 passing yards completing 51 percent of his passes, and 315 rushing yards on 67 carries for a total of 28 touchdowns. Collington is the team’s leading rusher this year with 459 yards and four touchdowns on 76 carries.

Hayward will travel to Concord tomorrow at 7 p.m. for the first round Division II playoff contest against the heavily favored Minutemen.