OAKLAND -- Oakland's Bishop O'Dowd High School made history on the football field Friday night and it had nothing to do with the team's performance.

For the first time, the team hosted a game on a Friday, under the lights. The school previously didn't have lights to light up the field.

The first Friday night game at Bishop O'Dowd generated plenty of excitement with a sold-out crowd of about 1,300 people filling the stands.

For fans, "Friday Night Lights" was something they had only seen or read about. Now was their opportunity to take part in this fabled high school tradition.

"It's really exciting because now, we're going to have a full-out football game. I only see it in movies, Friday night games. I'm really excited," said Crystal Rosas, a Bishop O'Dowd cheerleader.

Before Friday night's game, Bishop O'Dowd typically played its games on Saturday afternoons.

The opportunity to play on Friday evenings is not lost on the team's players or coaches.

"The spotlight is on us," said senior Mario Brown,"We're looking for a win."

Said coach Paul Perenon, "That's pretty much the lore of high school football, it's Friday night lights. We haven't been exposed to that and now we're getting our first crack at it."

Some neighbors had opposed the installation of lights, saying it could be a nuisance.

But the school went ahead with the $400,000 project and the lights will be used for other sporting events.

As for the football game, Bishop O'Dowd was victorious in its first Friday night home game, defeating Hayward's Tennyson High School.