Coach Cyril Crutchfield, one of the recipients featured on FOX Television’s philanthropic reality show, “Secret Millionaire,” led his team to victory in the Louisiana Class 1A football championship game over the weekend.

South Plaquemines defeated Christian Life Academy, of Baton Rouge, in a 62-16 win at the Louisiana Superdome to capture the state title. But Crutchfield also captured the hearts of a national TV audience this year when he was selected by Raising Cane’s Founder Todd Graves to receive $100,000 on the reality show for his tireless efforts on and off the football field.

After Hurricane Katrina destroyed three Southern Louisiana-area high schools, officials combined the three schools into one. Coach Crutchfield was then recruited as head football coach of South Plaquemines, the new unified school, and tasked with building a football team out of the former rivals. His dedication to the job kept him so busy that he put off repairs to his own house damaged by the hurricane.

Coach Crutchfield’s unyielding commitment to guide his students to success in school and on the field inspired Todd and his wife, Gwen, to select him as a “Secret Millionaire” recipient. They offered $100,000 – half to support the school’s students and athletes and half to fix the coach’s house. Coach Crutchfield used the school’s portion to buy his team weights and uniforms and to attend a football camp.

“Coach Crutchfield is an inspiration to this community and a reminder of how much one man can accomplish,” says Todd Graves. “It’s so inspiring to see how this school and community have come together to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. This football team has amazing heart and perseverance. With the money donated through the Secret Millionaire show, I’m proud to have played even a small role in helping this school and team get back on its feet.”

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