On Thursday Oct. 8, Smith Vocational students gathered in their gym for their first pep rally of the school year.
Athletic director Anthony Sabonis took time to celebrate the success of its fall sports teams, highlighting strong starts from their girls soccer and volleyball teams. The football team ran through the school banner to plenty of cheers. Amidst the school spirit, Sabonis took a moment to surprise the students with a big announcement.
On the previous Friday, administrators found out the school advanced to the next round of the T-Mobile Friday Night Lights Challenge and won $25,000 for athletic field upgrades.
“The kids were really excited,” Sabonis said. “It was a great atmosphere.”
In addition to the prize money, Smith Voc advanced to be among 10 finalists in the East Region in the next stage of the competition. Out of 2,500 schools who applied for the competition, only 40 were selected to be finalists in the four regions. In order to win the region, community members can vote for Smith Voc online through Oct. 25.
Winning the regional round comes with a $250,000 award, a gym upgrade sponsored by Rob Gronkowski and his foundation valued at $9,000, and a student leadership award for $5,000.
There will be a T-Mobile-hosted game celebration during the team’s home game on Oct. 22 against McCann Technical. Fans will receive free admission and food vouchers during the game. Representatives from T-Mobile will present the $25,000 check to the school as well.
“There’s going to be games for fans as well,” Sabonis said. “The big thing is there will be activities for us to earn extra votes.”
Fans can vote once a day, either by going to FridayNight5GLights.com or on T-Mobile’s T-Life app.
This is the second straight fall that Smith Voc entered and won money from the Friday Night Lights competition. In 2025, the school won a $5,000 Early Applicant award.
The award was based on the school’s social media to gain traction as well as an application that included demographic information and a written portion where administrators made their case why they needed the funds. Smith Voc sent pictures of the football field to show the infrastructure that needed updates.
The school won the same award earlier this season. Sabonis said the school has not used last year’s award. Now with $35,000 in hand, Smith Voc can brainstorm different ideas depending how far they make it in the competition.
New lights are currently a top priority for athletics. The lights presently at the field came from Northampton High School. Occasionally the lights will go out in the middle of games.
“Then we have to reset the breakers and wait about 25 minutes before turning them back on,” Sabonis said. “It can be annoying because that forces a long break during the game.”
Sabonis estimated the $35,000 is only about 10% of the total cost.
Another thought was to invest in a new machine to help line the grass field. After an agreement with Northampton’s Department of Public Works to line the fields ended, Smith Voc turned to students in its landscaping program to assist in the preparation. Buying a Turf Tank robot would help speed up the process for each game.
This is the third fall T-Mobile is running the competition. Back in 2024, Ware High School participated and won a $5,000 sweepstakes prize. Vikings head football coach Alex Subocz caught wind of the competition and worked with Sabonis to enter Smith Voc in 2025.
The competition may be football focused, but the improvements would help Smith Voc’s athletics across the board as well as academic programs.
“Where our money comes from is so complex and unique,” Subocz said. “Winning the $250,000 and being able to do a true field upgrade would be life-changing for the school.”
Sabonis, a St. Mary’s grad in Westfield in the mid-1990s, has seen the athletic programs come a long way from when he was in school.
Both soccer teams use the same field. When games start in late fall, it becomes difficult to play when it’s still light out. During the school day, physical education classes and the public safety program both use the field for physical activity.
Whereas regional vocational schools can receive funding from several towns, Smith Vocational operates solely under the town of Northampton.
The upside to having a vocational school centered in one town, it’s hard not to encounter someone who went to or has ties to Smith Voc as many remain in Hampshire County following graduation.
“ We’re really proud of our connection to the community, and we’re hoping that that connection to the community pays off with votes and an opportunity to provide our kids with a better experience,” Sabonis said.
