Allen Hamrick
It may just be the year of the cat for the Panther nation. The community has come together in a mass of community spirit as football fans, students and residents strive to win the ultimate prize. The Panthers are competing in the T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights sweepstakes. This is a massive multimillion-dollar program designed to help small-town high school programs across the country. In the end, one school will be awarded the one-million-dollar grand prize stadium facelift or makeover. There is also a splinter brand new weight room prize as well as $250,000 division grants.
Thanks to a ton of early entries, the Panthers have so far led a good campaign securing one of the 5K checks as a weekly winner. While 5K is a good start, the ultimate goal is the one-million-dollar upgrade. To win the prize it will require a massive effort from the team as well as the community. Sept. 18, 2026, is the deadline for entries, and after that a panel of judges will evaluate the schools and determine the top 40 contestants that will move on in the event. If in fact Clay County moves on in its division, the school will receive an additional $250,000 grant as well as a new weight room. From there, it will be a fight to the finish.
To help, the Panther fans need to flood social media with original photos or videos depicting Panther pride. In addition to posting pics and videos, hashtag #FN5GL or #Entry on various platforms. Another way is to tag official pages of the event, such as @TMobile, as well as the official Clay County High School or Clay County High School Panthers webpages. Every post brings the Panthers another step towards the ultimate prize. So, fans, it’s up to you — so break out the cameras and get to shooting videos and pics. One never knows if Clay County will get the call…it could happen.
