CHATSWORTH, Ga. — It was a somewhat common occurrence this season. Being a mobile quarterback, North Murray High School’s Preston Poag Jr. got hit and driven into the turf repeatedly.

Sometimes he just got knocked down as he threw, other times he was pummeled and driven face first into the ground.

But it was also common to see Poag bounce back up.

And when he was back up, his was putting up big numbers leading his team to its second straight state playoff appearance.

His toughness and grit, along with his solid statistics, during North Murray’s 7-4 campaign led him to be named the Daily Citizen-News All-Area Football Player of the Year. The Player of the Year was chosen by newspaper staff with input from coaches.

“It means a lot,” Preston said. “Coming into the year, that was one of my big goals, to be player of the year. It’s something I worked for the whole year. It was really exciting to actually achieve it.”

There were times he didn’t want to get back up. It’d be easier just to succumb to the aches and bruises and leave the game.

But that’s not the type of player Preston is.

“That’s what you gotta do. Especially when you’re the quarterback,” he said. “Everyone’s looking at you and you gotta make the plays. If you go down and go out, the morale of the team is just not gonna be the same. Getting back up, it shows your team that you are tough and you are gonna play for them. Even if I wasn’t feeling like getting up, I still tried to.”

It’s a trait that gets noticed. Whether it’s opposing coaches or his own team watching from the sidelines, seeing a player take as many hits as he did without flinching says a lot about what he will do for his team.

Chaisen Buckner, a sophomore linebacker for the Mountaineers, knows what it does for the players. When he watches Preston play, it makes him want to play with a tougher edge.

“It’s definitely a big deal for the team in general,” Buckner said. “When your quarterback, a position that you try to keep protected, lays himself on the line like that, I think it gives us momentum on defense and sort of says a lot about what our team is about. Not many QBs will give themselves up like that just to get extra yardage or to make plays.

“You wouldn’t think a guy like Preston would be that tough just by his looks, but perception isn’t reality in this case. I’ve seen him take so many big hits and every time I’m like, ‘Is he alright? Is he going to get up?’ and, sure enough, he does and keeps playing and commanding the offense. He’s tough as nails man.”

Before this season, Poag only had four career starts.

“That’s how it is,” said Preston Poag Sr., North Murray coach and Preston’s father. “You’re gonna take hits throughout the year at quarterback. They’re gonna hit you, they’re gonna blitz you, they’re gonna come get you.

“He handles stuff well. I tell my wife all the time that he’s got a great quarterback personality. He never gets rattled. You can’t tell if he’s thrown a touchdown or thrown five picks. He goes about his business the right way.”

Even when faced with two concussions, one that resulted in him missing the following game, it didn’t make him gun shy.

During a loss to eventual Class 3A state champion Calhoun High School, Preston dropped back to toss a throwback post route downfield. As he released the ball, a Calhoun defender drove his helmet up into Preston’s chin before driving him to the ground.

Later in the game, Preston was sandwiched between two more defenders.

He finished the game with no symptoms, but after feeling dazed in the locker room without being able to focus, it was determined he had a mild concussion.

That was the first concussion he had ever endured.

Two games later, in a tight game against Ringgold High School, Preston was again concussed and was unable to finish the game.

North Murray won in overtime on a 2-point conversion run by freshman Dante Tidwell. Despite not being able to help his team under center, Poag, with a towel over his head shielding his eyes from the lights, was on the sidelines scheming with the offensive line.

“You talk about intangibles at quarterback, there’s a lot of different things,” Poag Sr. said. “But the biggest thing is you better work hard and you better understand the game and understand it’s not all about you. I’ve told him that his whole life and he understands what it takes to play the position.”

Preston has played quarterback since first grade. He knows the ins and outs of the position and knows what it takes to lead a team.

He also understands the sacrifice and dedication needed to be an above average player.

After a loss, Poag Sr. says Preston is very quiet. It’s not until the next morning that he wants to talk and dive into what went wrong. He often finds Preston sitting at the kitchen table watching film with a notepad in front of him, scribbling down his analysis.

“He comes in and knows as much as I know,” Poag Sr. said. “You don’t see that a lot, but you like to see your quarterback study that kind of stuff.”

Preston led the area with 2,811 (600 rushing) total yards and 28 total touchdowns while breaking the school’s single-season record for both categories, despite missing a game.

He was a threat through the air and on the ground. But he didn’t do it alone.

Paired with one of the area’s top receivers — Connor Rice — and a dynamic rushing attack, Poag thrived.

“Connor was great because he knew the offense so well,” Preston said. “We were on the same page on the routes because we had done them so many times. I knew, when he was gonna break, how deep he’d be every time.”

Preston and Rice connected on 59 passes for 1,122 yards and 17 touchdowns.

In a year’s time, Preston went from backup to a playoff-winning quarterback to player of the year.

Though he enjoys the honor, his competitive drive can’t let him dwell on his success. He wants more.

“Without being competitive, you can’t be successful,” he said. “Without being competitive, I don’t think you’ll win many games. With that trait, I think it helps everybody on your team. We have a lot of people on our team that have that edge. You have to strive to compete and strive to get better.”