From The Sun's Stefen Lovelace:

Dunbar coach Lawrence Smith has already proven just how great a year he's had, leading the Poets to another championship after the passing of former head coach Ben Eaton. Last Sunday, he just got a reaffirmation about how good a job he did.

Smith won the 2007 Ravens High School Coach of the Year, which honors "Baltimore-area high school coaches who have made a significant impact on their athletes." Smith was named the winner at halftime of the Ravens Sunday night game against the Indianapolis Colts.

"I was delighted," Smith said. "It was a great honor for the program."

For winning the award, Smith received a $4,000 donation to Dunbar's football program.
Smith was chosen for the award by a "panel of area high school experts" and beat out some of the area's best coaches in Doug DuVall (Wilde Lake), Brian Abbott (Loyola), Steve Turnbaugh (Hereford), Jeff Oerning (North Carroll), Skip Hartley (Digital Harbor), Chip Armstrong (Mount St. Joseph), Marc Mesaros (Eastern Tech), Roger Wrenn (Poly) and Brian Van Deusen (River Hill). All the coaches in contention were named Coaches of the Week during the regular football season.

Smith also followed the footsteps of his coaching mentor. Eaton won the award in 2004.