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Dunbar players make good on their promise
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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - It was a promise Dunbar’s football players had to keep.
Shortly after their coach, Ben Eaton, died on August 27 — 12 days before the Poets’ first game — the players made a pact they would dedicate a state championship-winning season to the man they referred to as a father.
The second-ranked Poets completed their mission this past Saturday with a 58-34 victory over Allegany in the 1A final to win their second straight championship and fifth overall.
But Eaton, who would have turned 59 yesterday, is still very much alive in the hearts of Dunbar players, as his spirit was everywhere at M&T Bank Stadium. It was in Sandra Easton — Ben’s widow — who celebrated with the team as they were awarded the championship trophy, and in every player wearing the maroon and gold uniform.
“Fourteen and 0, a perfect season and we played well under a whole lot of pressure, it’s been a long journey this year,” said Coach Lawrence Smith. We’re all sitting here and know what this is about. We played for [Eaton] because he’s the real coach of this team and everything we do is for him.”
The Poets certainly would have made Eaton proud this season. The Poets outscored the opposition, 588-158, won every game by at least 10 points and completely dominated Allegany (13-1) in record-setting setting fashion.
“[Coach Eaton] was like a father and we wanted to win it for him,” senior linebacker Keon Redhead said.
Dunbar tied the record for most points in a 1A championship game, matching the mark set by Valley, which no longer exists, in 1977. Allegany set the record for most points in a championship game loss in any of the state’s four classifications, as the teams combined for the most points in any title game (92). The Poets’ 196 points in four postseason games broke the mark of 141 set by Urbana of Frederick County in three games in 1999.
“I promised Coach Eaton we would win and it’s a great feeling,” junior running back Tavon Austin, who rushed for 135 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries, said. “The next thing that I’m going to promise him is that we’re going to be back next year.”
jgallo@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
3:09 PM MST on Mon., Dec. 10, 2007 re: "Executives lock horns over football game"
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7:51 AM MST on Mon., Dec. 10, 2007
re: "Executives lock horns over football game"
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Examiner Reader said:
Smith and Ulman are both fruitcakes. I would not wipe my feet on either one of them.
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Examiner Reader said:
I can't beleive the Examiner fell for this obvious political stunt to get press on the backs of high school athletes. This isn't the pros and this isn't the super bowl. One of the main reasons student athletes use Steroids is because of the pressure to win at all cost. Having the County Executives bet on the game, is first a demonstration for the kids and second it puts additional pressure on the teams to win, since the county execs control most of the school budget. Now that River Hill has won, I'm sure that Jim Smith will try and turn this into more cheap press. I hope the examiner doesn't fall for it this time. The real stars are the student athletes.
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