Today's interviewee is North Murray coach Preston Poag, whose team defeated Calhoun 31-7 last week and ended Calhoun's 119-game winning streak in games that count in region standings and 139-game win streak against all region opponents. Poag, a Dalton graduate and former N.C. State quarterback, took the North Murray job in 2016, when the northwest Georgia school had never had a winning season or made the playoffs. The Mountaineers since have gone to the playoffs with winning records in each of Poag's three seasons and currently stand 3-1.
Preston Poag, North Murray head cocach
1. What happened in the Calhoun game that won the day? "I think the biggest thing that happened is that I have a veteran team with many seniors, and they had the confidence they could win the game. We played solid defense and made big plays on offense as well as sound plays on special teams. We outplayed them in all phases of the game."
2. What does the win mean to your program? How does this victory rank for you at any level as player or coach? "I have been at North Murray four years, and it has been a process changing the culture to one of knowing we can beat anyone we play. I thought our kids went out, executed the game plan and showed a lot of confidence the entire game. This victory would rank high in my coaching career. The ultimate goal is to play for a state championship. My number one would be when I coached for a state championship at Dalton High School. [Dalton was the Class AAAA runner-up to Statesboro in 2001.]
3. What's different about this year's team? Where's the biggest improvement been since you took over? "A couple of things. We are a veteran team. Many of these kids have started since they were sophomores. That experience pays off in games like last Friday night against Calhoun. We also have a lot of senior leadership, and as a coach I like seeing the seniors lead the younger kids through example and words. The biggest improvement is we are a lot stronger in the weight room, and we know how to prepare week to week and show that during the week in practice. The overall attitude of the team has changed. They have confidence and believe in themselves. They truly believe they can beat anyone."
4. Is there something that a coach or staff can do to prepare a team to beat what traditionally has been an unbeatable opponent? "It has been a process over the past three years. We have played them and they have beat us, but each year we have gotten better. Last year, we led 10-0 at halftime and we didn't finish the job in the second half. That showed our kids they could compete against a team with tradition like Calhoun. This year we were winning 10-7 at halftime, and since we had already experienced that last year, it helped prepare us for how to complete the game and get the win. We have had to develop that mindset over the past three years. We have to go through some of it, experience it for them to know how to battle through it and be successful. It's like life, you learn from experience."
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