DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Fewer than 5,000 people live in Dover-Foxcroft, but together, they put their town in the national spotlight.
We told you last week that long-time soccer and wrestling coach Luis Ayala of Foxcroft Academy won a national coaching award thanks to an outpouring of online votes. On Monday, he received his grand prize, a check for $50,000 from U.S.Celluarand the title of Most Valuable Coach.
Coach Ayala is putting all the money into the community that showed him how much they appreciate his work. It will gbe used to fund Dover-Foxcroft athletic programs.
"He wants to make the program the best it can be and help you on and off the field become the best you can be," says senior soccer captain Josh Reed, who plays for Coach Ayala. "Not just as an athlete, but as a citizen of this community."
It's not about titles, or trophies, or checks -- Coach Ayala's says his reward is seeing a soccer player score, watching his wrestling team succeed and hearing the applause from the hundreds of high schoolers he's helped in his 18 year coaching career.
"You just hope that you make an impact on one person," says Coach Ayala. "But this has shown me that I've made an impact on so many people."
Coach Ayala was one of three Maine coaches who made it to the Final 15 in the Most Valuable Coach program. Mike McGraw of Lewiston and James Danala of Mt. Abram High each received $5,000 for their schools for making it that far.