Newton High School is about 60,000 votes behind the leader in T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights competition. The school is one of 25 high schools nationwide eligible for a $1 million grand prize award, which consists of a football stadium upgrade. As of Wednesday, T-Mobile showed just over 34,000 votes for Newton High School. That’s 10th highest, and well behind the 95,000-plus votes for the leading school, Dierks High School in Arkansas. Casting a vote for the Cardinals consists of providing an email address on the Friday Night 5G Lights website. Voters can come back and vote every day from now through October 24th. The grand prize winner will be announced on October 30th.

T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights program is a nationwide competition designed to celebrate the power high school football has, to bring communities together. Newton High School has already won $31,000 under the program. Head football coach Andy Swedenhjelm says most of that money is being used on new equipment for the high school’s weight room. Being a finalist in the Friday Night 5G Lights competition will also result in a special Friday night celebration hosted by T-Mobile, when the Cardinals host Grinnell on Friday, October 17th. There will be games, giveaways, and free concessions.