- Columbia High School was selected as one of 40 finalists nationwide in T-Mobile's Friday Night 5G Lights competition and earned $25,000.
- Columbia and Booker T. Washington High are the only Florida schools in the national Top 40 chosen from nearly 2,500 schools.
- Community voting runs Oct. 8-25 to help Columbia become South Division champion and compete for a $1 million grand prize.
Columbia High School is one of 40 finalists nationwide in T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights competition, earning $25,000 and a chance to compete for additional prizes, including a $1 million grand prize.
According to a T-Mobile press release sent Monday, the Lake City school was chosen from nearly 2,500 schools nationwide. Columbia High School and Booker T. Washington High School in Pensacola were the only two Florida schools selected for this year’s national Top 40.
T-Mobile will present Columbia High School with its $25,000 check during a Home Game Celebration on Friday, Oct. 23, at the school. The event will provide visual opportunities and interviews with school and T-Mobile representatives.
For more than 30 years, Tiger Stadium has been a gathering place for the Lake City community, hosting Friday night football games, graduations and other community events. As a first-time $5,000 winner in the Friday Night 5G Lights competition, the Columbia Fighting Tigers are working to preserve the stadium’s legacy while pursuing plans for an indoor facility and other upgrades.
“Winning this $25,000 is a tremendous investment in our football program, our student-athletes, and Columbia High School,” said Columbia football coach Brian Allen, in the release. “We’re extremely excited and grateful to T-Mobile for this opportunity. But we also know this is just the next step. We’ve seen how strongly Lake City and the Columbia community can rally behind our Tigers, and now we’re looking forward to that support carrying us into the next round. This is bigger than football — it’s an opportunity to make a lasting impact for our students, our school, and our community.”
Trey Hosford, Columbia High School principal, said the award could benefit students and families beyond the football program.
“This $25,000 award is an incredible investment not only in Columbia High School, but in the students and families we serve every day,” Hosford said in the release. “Opportunities like this allow us to create experiences and make improvements that reach far beyond Friday nights. Our school has always been a reflection of this community, and the way Lake City continues to rally around our students is something special. We are incredibly grateful to T-Mobile for investing in Columbia High School, and we’re excited to see our entire community come together again as we pursue the next round and an opportunity to make an even greater impact.”
Community Voting Opens for Next Round
Fans can vote once per day from Oct. 8-25 to help Columbia High School become the South Division champion and advance to the Final Four.
Voting is available at FridayNight5GLights.com or through the T-Life app.
One school from each of the competition’s four divisions — West, Midwest, South and East — will advance. The division champions, scheduled to be announced Oct. 29, will each receive $250,000, a Gronk Fitness gym upgrade valued at $90,000 and a “The Big Deal” Student Leadership Award valued at $5,000.
Final voting will take place Oct. 29-Nov. 8, with the $1 million grand prize winner scheduled to be announced Nov. 12.
Columbia High School’s advancement gives Lake City residents another opportunity to rally behind the Fighting Tigers as the school competes for funding that could support its students, athletic program and campus improvements.