Bristow and McAlester High Schools just each received $5,000 in funding — and they’re also in the running for a football field transformation valued at $1 million.
The schools were randomly selected as a $5K Fridays sweepstakes winner through TMobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights, a national competition celebrating small-town football and community pride. Last week, two panhandle area high schools (listed below) also received $5,000, bringing the total to $20,000 across the state.
This year, more than $8.4 million is up for grabs, including $25,000 for 40 finalists, $250,000 for four division champions and $1 million toward a football field transformation for one grand prize winner, announced Nov. 12.
Bristow High School Athletic Director BJ McBride hopes funding could help transform Hafer Field and Hillburn Track — a centerpiece of the community — into a more modern, accessible home for students and fans. The school’s vision includes improved seating and a new press box, upgraded sound and video systems, safer parking and potentially an indoor practice and community space that could serve multiple athletic programs year-round.
McAlester High School Director of Athletics James Singleton McAlester hopes funding could help restore and expand historic Hook Eales Stadium, where standing-roomonly crowds have outgrown aging bleachers and years of heavy use have taken a toll on the field. Improvements could include safer, expanded seating, field upgrades and new strength-training equipment — helping the stadium continue serving athletes, families and a community that rallies around the Buffaloes every Friday night.
So far, nearly 70 Oklahoma high schools have applied, and there’s still time for more to join. Eligible schools in communities with populations under 150,000 can apply through Sept. 18 at FridayNight5GLights.com. As the competition progresses, communities will also have opportunities to rally behind their schools and vote.