Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images courtesy of Dora High School
When Greg Patterson switched cellphone providers earlier this year, the Dora High School head football coach had no idea the decision could lead to a million-dollar opportunity for his school.
After signing up with T-Mobile, Patterson began noticing the company’s social media promotions. One in particular caught his attention: Friday Night 5G Lights, a nationwide competition that offered high schools in smaller communities a chance to win funding for athletic facility improvements.
Patterson remembered another Alabama school participating in the competition, so he decided to investigate.
“I started punching numbers in the websites, and we met all the criteria,” Patterson recalled. “So I was like, ‘Why not give it a shot?'”
That decision has now placed Dora High School among just 40 schools nationwide competing for a $1 million football field upgrade.
Dora is one of only two Alabama schools selected as finalists, joining Loachapoka High School in Auburn. The 40 finalists are divided into four regions, with 10 schools in each. Dora is competing in the South Division, where the school must secure enough public votes to advance.
Each finalist has already earned $25,000 for its school, plus a T-Mobile-hosted home game celebration. The school with the most votes in each division will earn an additional $250,000, a $90,000 weight room upgrade, and a $5,000 student leadership award. Those four division winners will then compete for the $1 million grand prize.
Patterson, who took over Dora’s football program earlier this year, said the opportunity arrived at a particularly meaningful time.
“Unfortunately, when I got here, the football program was in debt pretty substantially,” he explained.
The program needed new equipment, including shoulder pads and helmets, but its financial circumstances made those improvements difficult.
Patterson said the prize money Dora has already secured through the competition will allow the program to eliminate its debt and redirect other funds raised throughout the year toward equipment and everyday operational needs.
“It’s just been a blessing just to get us back in the black, where we can make decisions about how to move forward,” he said.
And while the financial relief is significant, Patterson sees the potential for an even greater impact if Dora advances further in the competition.
As the school prepares to move into a new building and discusses additional athletic facility improvements, the competition could help usher in a new chapter for Dora athletics.
Teachers Catherine Willingham and Hannah Morrison, who have helped coordinate Dora’s participation in the competition, said the opportunity has generated excitement as the school looks toward its future.
“We’re about to have this extremely nice new school and an older stadium,” Morrison explained, noting that the prize money could help make needed improvements, including accessibility upgrades.
Patterson said improvements such as installing artificial turf could benefit far more than the football program.
At his previous school, he saw firsthand how multiple sports programs, including baseball and softball, could use a turf field. Such a facility could also give younger athletes in the community opportunities to play without the same concerns about damaging a natural grass field.
“When you look at doing stuff like that, it benefits more than just football,” he said.
That broader impact is what makes the stakes particularly meaningful to Patterson.
“If we were to win $250,000, it would allow us to make upgrades here facility-wise that would benefit not only football, but other sports as well,” he said. “A large portion of the student body is going to benefit. It’s not just a football thing.”
Meanwhile, the school community is working to generate as much support as possible.
Students have been encouraged to vote daily, with reminders delivered during morning announcements. Football players have made voting part of their daily routines, while students have helped create videos and social media content to spread awareness.
The school has also participated in T-Mobile’s bonus challenges, including a “Paint Our Town Magenta” event that brought students and supporters together in the company’s signature color.
The upcoming challenge, “Our Town, Our Story,” will give Dora another opportunity to earn bonus votes while highlighting the community’s history.
Organizers hope to feature alumni, longtime supporters, and the school’s evolution from its earliest days to the new campus taking shape today.
That history carries special meaning for a school where, according to Willingham and Morrison, many faculty and staff members are themselves Dora graduates.
But with Dora competing against schools with considerably larger student populations, Morrison said success will require support well beyond the school’s immediate community.
“We want our community and our surrounding communities to help us as well,” she said.
Willingham echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the importance of bringing together supporters from across Walker County and neighboring areas, including Jefferson, Marion, and Cullman counties.
Patterson said the competition represents the kind of opportunity that rarely comes along in a coaching career. Regardless of how far Dora advances, the funding already secured is an important step forward for the program.
With a place in the next round still within reach, the Bulldogs hope their community, their county, and supporters across Alabama will help them take that next step.
Voting in the current round remains open through Sunday, October 25. Supporters can vote once per day using a valid mobile phone number at https://fn5gl.t-mobile.com/vote/dora-high-school.
Division champions will be announced on October 29, and the grand prize winner will be announced on November 12. WL
