Lebanon High School is driving hard in a $1 million contest to update its football field, but they’re still just shy of the end zone.
Sitting in second place, the Warriors need fans near and far to step up, cast their votes, and help push the team across the goal line into first.
Lebanon learned on Sept. 25 it is among 25 nationwide semifinalists in the running for a trophy that includes football field upgrades and other prizes, sponsored by T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights Competition. LHS is the only Oregon school to make it to the red zone.
But it needs help to secure the touchdown.
The grand prize winner, to be announced Oct. 30, will receive $1 million toward a football field upgrade, consultation with a stadium expert, a weight room upgrade by Gronk Fitness, a tailgate party unveiling, and a trip for 16 school representatives to the SEC Championship game in Atlanta.
At press time the Warriors were trailing a small high school in Arkansas that has gained nationwide support.
If LHS scores the $1 million prize, that money will be set aside for Heath Stadium, built in 1957; its grandstand was closed last spring due to structural concerns and resulting inability to procure adequate insurance for the facility, which, like Husky Field, is used for all manner of high school and community activities.
William Lewis, Lebanon school district chief operations officer, said the district is considering two options for replacement: a 9,800-square-foot covered grandstand seating 1,700 persons at a cost of $2,550,000, or a 12,600-square-foot grandstand seating 2,100 persons that would cost $3,220,000. Either would include a press box, but do not include restrooms or a concession stand.
T-Mobile launched its Friday Night 5G Lights Competition in mid-July and awarded school district applicants with $5,000 prizes every week until mid-September. LHS did not win a $5,000 prize, but was named a semifinalist, which comes with a $25,000 prize.
According to T-Mobile staff, there were more than 2,000 entries in the contest. Of the 30 schools in Oregon that entered the contest, LHS is the only one in the state to make it this far.
T-Mobile presented the $25,000 check during the Warriors’ Oct. 3 football game as they played against the Bend Lava Bears at Heath Stadium.
According to Michelle Steinhebel, communications director for Lebanon Community School District, much of the $25,000 prize money will be set aside for improvements to Heath Stadium.
LHS has held steady in second place since the finals kick-off, but continues to fall further behind Dierks High School, a rural Arkansas school that has been dominating the field. To intercept that ball and gain some offensive traction, area communities are asked to rally behind their neighbor and submit their votes every day through Oct. 24.
To cast a vote for LHS, visit T-Mobile.com/brand/friday-night-5g-lights/h and enter your email address. The community can return every day during the time period to cast another vote – the more daily votes, the higher the chance of winning.
According to a press release, T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights program is aimed toward “celebrating the power of high school football to bring communities together.” Part of the contest involved sharing that community Warrior spirit by posting photos on social media.
For more information, visit T-Mobile.com/brand/friday-night-5g-lights.