Champions aren’t made by individual effort alone – they’re forged through collaboration, dedication, and the power of an entire community working toward a common goal. This week, Decatur High School in Decatur, Alabama proved that principle extends far beyond the football field by capturing a $5,000 prize in T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights contest.

The victory was truly a team effort in every sense of the word. While the football team plays with pride on Friday nights, it was the coordinated effort of cheerleaders, band members, student council, booster club, dedicated parents, and more that created the winning social media content. From behind-the-scenes preparation to game-day excitement, every department at Decatur High School contributed to showcasing their school spirit online.

This collaborative approach caught T-Mobile’s attention among thousands of entries nationwide. The Friday Night 5G Lights contest awards $5,000 weekly to high schools in communities under 150,000 residents, recognizing schools that best capture and share their authentic Friday night experiences on Instagram and X.

“This isn’t just a donation—it’s an investment in our kids’ safety and our program’s culture of Red Raider unity. New gear protects them. Meals fuel them. And the pride we build through Raider Nation traditions- especially those weekly themed pep rallies! That’s what makes Decatur football different.” said Head Coach, John Ritter.

The winning strategy reflects what educators have always known: the best results come from working together. Just as T-Mobile has collaborated with small communities since 2021 – investing over $16 million through Hometown Grants, expanding 5G access, and supporting educational programs like Project 10Million – Decatur High School understood that contest success required all hands on deck.

Looking ahead, the school has big plans for its $5,000 prize. But the real victory lies in what this experience taught the entire school community about the power of unified effort and shared purpose.

The formula for success is clear and replicable. Schools need consistent, authentic posts from their official social media accounts that showcase the full spectrum of their Friday night experience. From the grounds crew preparing the field to the final whistle, every moment matters. The more posts shared following contest guidelines, the better the chances of winning.

Other schools can learn from Decatur High School’s approach: involve everyone. Rally your PTA to share pre-game setup photos. Encourage the band to post rehearsal videos. Have the cheer squad showcase their routines. Get the student council to capture crowd reactions. When every group contributes, the story becomes richer and more compelling.

Ready to help Decatur High School win it all?

This $5K victory is the perfect launching pad for bigger prizes – 25 schools will advance as finalists to win $25,000 each plus a T-Mobile-hosted home game, and one school will claim the ultimate $1,000,000 grand prize package. Keep the team effort strong by engaging with their content, sharing their posts, and showing T-Mobile that this community knows how to rally for the big wins.

Download the FN5GL Playbook for championship strategies, and keep supporting every post with #FN5GL and #Sweepstakes. Remember to use your school’s full name and mention @TMobile.

Champions aren’t made overnight – but they’re definitely made together.

————————————————-

This contest is part of the T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights program. Only schools that met the contest’s eligibility requirements were included in the campaign and prize selection, and community engagement helps determine future prize opportunities. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Meta, and participants release Meta from any responsibility related to the campaign.See Official Rules.