Johnston County Public Schools is celebrating a big win for five of its high schools, each awarded $5,000 through T-Mobile’s 2026 Friday Night 5G Lights program. Princeton High, Smithfield-Selma High, South Johnston High, West Johnston High, and Cleveland High were selected as $5K Friday winners as part of T-Mobile’s nationwide celebration of hometown football, school spirit, and community pride.
“This is great news, and it will be rewarding celebrating with the schools and T-Mobile,” noted Director of Athletics and Driver Education Josh Plisko. “We feel these selections reflect the ongoing passionate involvement with scholastic-based athletics in our district from all stakeholders in all sports.”
The $5K Friday awards are part of a larger competition that gives participating schools opportunities to win additional prizes throughout the season. T-Mobile is awarding $5,000 to a total of 1,000 schools through weekly sweepstakes, with schools able to increase their chances through social media posts that showcase school spirit and community involvement. Schools can use the funds awarded through the $5K Friday sweepstakes at their discretion.
The five JCPS schools will also have an opportunity to advance in the competition. T-Mobile will select 40 division finalists, with the top 10 schools from each of four divisions moving forward. Each finalist will receive $25,000 and a T-Mobile Home Game Celebration.
Finalists are selected based on factors including their application stories, potential impact of a field upgrade, school and community spirit demonstrated through social media engagement, and alignment with T-Mobile’s mission of empowering small towns.
From there, four division champions will be selected, with each receiving $250,000 before the competition moves to the final round. The ultimate grand prize winner will receive $1 million toward a game-changing home field upgrade, along with a T-Mobile celebration in 2027.
The five JCPS football teams' success highlights the enthusiasm and pride of students, staff, families, and communities across Johnston County, demonstrating the power of coming together to support local schools and Friday night football. “I would like to thank all of our athletes, coaches, athletic directors, administrators, and community members who make JCPS’s Athletics so special,” Plisko added.
The $5,000 checks will be presented by T-Mobile at the following home games, either before the game begins or during halftime, as indicated below:
Friday, September 11, 2026
Princeton High
Kickoff at 7:30 PM
(Presentation During Pre- game)
Friday, October 2, 2026
Smithfield-Selma High
Kickoff at 7:00 PM
(Presentation During Pre-game)
Friday, October 2, 2026
South Johnston High
Kickoff at 7:00 PM
(Presentation During Halftime)
Friday October 16
West Johnston High
Kickoff at 7:00 PM
(Presentation During Pre-game)
Friday October 16
Cleveland High
Kickoff at 7:00 PM
(Presentation During Halftime)