Football Recap: Hayden Piles Up the Points Against Vail Christian + How To Watch

Hayden hadn't done well against Vail Christian recently (they were 1-6 in their previous seven matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Tigers took their matchup with ease, bagging a 72-28 win over the Saints. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won five games by 42 points or more so far this season.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Hayden to victory, but perhaps none more so than Peyton Johnson, who rushed for 199 yards and four TDs while picking up 11.7 yards per carry, and also threw for 76 yards and one touchdown. What's more, Johnson racked up 177.1 passer rating, the most he's had since back in September of 2024. Danek DeMorat got in on the action as well, returning a kick for a touchdown.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Hayden was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 428 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 172 rushing yards in five consecutive contests.

Hayden didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Johnson and Carson Campbell. Thanks to that big game, Johnson is now up to 17 rushing touchdowns on the season.

Hayden pushed their record up to 6-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.0 points over those games. As for Vail Christian, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-5.

We've got plenty of inter-league action coming up soon. Hayden will take on rival West Grand at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 1,018 yards in their previous games. Meanwhile, Vail Christian is set to challenge their familiar foe Lake County at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.