GREENFIELD, Ohio — McClain High School has slipped to second place in the Midwest Division of T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights contest and is calling on supporters to vote every day through Sunday as it tries to reclaim the lead and stay in the running for a $1 million athletic field upgrade.
As of Thursday morning, Menasha High School in Wisconsin led the Midwest Division with 182,628 votes to McClain’s 177,604, a gap of roughly 5,000. Voting ends Oct. 25.
McClain is the only Ohio school among the 40 national finalists in the contest, which selects one Division Champion from each of four regions. Each finalist has already received $25,000 and a T-Mobile-hosted home game celebration.
The Midwest winner will receive an additional $250,000, a Gronk Fitness gym upgrade valued at about $90,000 and a $5,000 student leadership award, then compete against the other three Division Champions for the $1 million grand prize for athletic field improvements. Division Champions will be announced Oct. 29.
Supporters may cast one vote per day through Oct. 25 at McClain’s voting page or through the T-Life app using a valid mobile phone number. A one-time text verification code is required. Votes obtained by fraudulent, automated or improper means are prohibited and voided under the official rules.
The contest has drawn strong community involvement in Greenfield and across Highland County. Local officials, including the Highland County Board of Commissioners, have publicly urged residents to vote daily.
Superintendent Quincey Gray has said the prize money would allow the district to make significant improvements to the high school’s athletic facilities that would benefit students, athletes and the broader community for years. Gray has noted the district formed a committee and began preparing earlier this year after previous smaller awards in the program.
McClain led both the Midwest Division and the nation in voting as recently as mid-October before Menasha moved ahead. Menasha is seeking funds in part to help rebuild its Calder Stadium, which was heavily damaged by a tornado in July.
Schools can also earn potential bonus votes through ongoing Spirit Week social media challenges that require tagging @TMobile and using the hashtags #FN5GL and #Entry.
The information contained in this story was obtained from T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights contest and the Greenfield Exempted Village School District.