Dixie High students sink 2 half-court shots to win top prize in ‘Shoot 4 Cash’ halftime promotion

ST. GEORGE — Two Dixie High School students each won the top $500 prize for their respective athletic teams by each making half-court shots during a halftime promotion Thursday night, while a third contestant won $250 on behalf of the school’s drill team.

The ongoing “Shoot 4 Cash” promotion, sponsored by Stephen Wade Auto, KSL Cars and Canyon Media, gives selected participants a chance to make as many as four progressively longer shots within a 30-second time limit, starting with a layup, then a free throw, followed by a 3-pointer and an approximately 45-foot shot from the half-court line. 

The three Dixie High students who took the court to try their luck Thursday night were, in order, Josh Stewart, Josh Barney and Bronson Barben. The gymnasium was packed with fans there to watch the Flyers take on the Snow Canyon Warriors. 

As shown in the above five-minute video, courtesy of Stephen Wade Auto, Stewart made both the layup and the free throw, but then missed his first two 3-point attempts before making his third one. 

With the clock ticking down, Stewart then heaved the ball from the half-court line. The shot missed but caromed hard off the backboard, bouncing back toward mid-court. Stewart quickly chased the ball down and let it fly once more just as the buzzer sounded. It rattled into the basket, sending the crowd into a frenzy, with many fans from the student section running onto the court and surrounding Stewart in celebration.

L-R: Dixie High School students Josh Barney, Bronson Barben and Josh Stewart pose with oversized checks representing the amounts they won during “Shoot 4 Cash” halftime promotion. Also pictured is Jamie Bahlmann of event sponsor Stephen Wade Auto. St. George,Utah, Jan. 9, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Canyon Media, St. George News

“It was incredible to announce and witness,” said announcer Mark Musgrave, who added, “I love watching Region 9 students rush the floor when a shooter makes the half-court shot, and to have two in one night, that was a first. Phenomenal!”

For his efforts, Stewart, a soccer player who also was the kicker on the Flyers’ football team, won $500 for the Dixie High boys soccer team.

Next up was Barney, a tennis player shooting on behalf of the DHS boys tennis team. Barney calmly swished his first three shots, moving farther back each time. Barney’s first two half-court shot attempts both hit the rim, but he drained the third one with just four seconds left to spare, setting off yet another wild celebration among the fans.

The third and final contestant was Barben, a sophomore basketball player who also plays football and baseball for the Flyers. He was shooting on behalf of Dixie’s Jetettes drill team, which had just finished performing their entertaining and energetic character dance at halftime.

Barben easily swished his first three shots, giving him time for four half-court attempts as the clock ticked down. A couple of them came very close but his last one fell short. He still won the runner-up prize of $250 to be given to the drill team.

As for the Dixie High varsity game itself, which was tied 22-22 at halftime, the Flyers went on to defeat Snow Canyon, 49-41.

Thursday night’s event marked the second of nine “Shoot 4 Cash” halftime promotions scheduled during the Region 9 boys basketball season, according to Jamie Bahlmann of Stephen Wade Auto. Two appearances are scheduled for next week: during halftime of the Desert Hills home game vs. Crimson Cliffs on Tuesday and during halftime of Pine View’s home contest against Canyon View on Thursday. Both games tip off at 7 p.m.

The other upcoming “Shoot 4 Cash” events are scheduled as follows: at Dixie High Jan. 21, at Desert Hills Jan. 23, at Crimson Cliffs Jan. 28, at Pine View Jan. 30 and at Snow Canyon Feb. 4.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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