Forest Park coach Damon Bomar has been named the Baltimore Ravens’ High School Coach of the Week for the seventh week of the 2010 NFL season.
The Foresters advanced to a perfect 8-0 last Friday evening when they blanked Baltimore City league Division II rival Southwestern, 41-0. The victory marked Forest Park’s fifth shutout of the season.
In his second year, Bomar has transformed a program that was 2-8 before he took over into a force in the division. The Foresters composed a 11-1 mark in 2009, falling to Dunbar in the Class 1A South Region finals.
“I changed the mental focus of the kids,” Bomar said. “It’s all about discipline and structure. They were talented, but just undisciplined. I brought in some great coaches, and we’ve been grinding every day. The kids bought into it because they were eager to win.”
With his motto, “execution, no excuses,” Bomar has crafted a locker room balanced in all facets of the game. Friday, senior quarterback Andrew Allen threw three touchdown passes, while senior running back Antwon Harmon rushed for two more. On special teams, senior Pat Makall added a punt return for a touchdown, while the defense registered two safeties.
“I’m an old-school coach,” Bomar admitted. “I say defense wins championships, so we start on defense. This year, we did focus more on offense, and now it’s a total team effort.”
But Bomar, who also carries the responsibility of Forest Park’s athletic director, doesn’t just strive for balance on game day.
“I saw that these kids needed something better,” he said about taking the football coaching position. “I try to teach them about life other than just on the football field.”
Each week during the season, the Ravens honor a high school coach who has made a significant impact on his athletes. Each recipient receives a $2,000 donation to the school’s football program, a certificate signed by Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh and a specially-designed Coach of the Week hat.
Each winner will be present at the Ravens vs. Saints home game on Dec. 19 for the naming of the Ravens’ High School Coach of the Year.
2010 Ravens High School Coach of the Week Recipients:
Week 1 Steve Turnbaugh Hereford
Week 2 Biff Poggi
Week 3 Howard Coaching Staff Howard
Week 4 Kyle Schmitt
Week 5 Ken Brinkman
Week 6 Steve Luette South Carroll
Week 7 Damon Bomar Forest Park
