GROVE CITY — Even Tyler Dagres feels like he has been around forever.

The senior quarterback for the Grove City High football team chuckles and smiles at the notion that he has become more of a fixture at Forker Field than the bleachers and the goalposts.

But Dagres is far from done. The 6-foot-2, 190- pound quarterback already has 32 games and 27 wins under his belt in three seasons.

He was thrust into the starting lineup as a freshman when Mike Burk suffered a foot injury before camp.

Each year, he has gotten better.

“The big thing with him is decision making,” said Grove City football coach Jeff Bell. “He’s always been able to throw the ball. I think last year he made big strides, he cut his interceptions down and we’re looking for the same thing this year. If he can do that, who knows what kind of season we can have.”

Last year was a pretty good one with Dagres under center.

The Eagles posted the first 10-0 football season in school history, routed Corry in the first round of the District 10 Class AAA playoffs, but lost the district title the next week to Cathedral Prep.

Dagres, though, played only one offensive series of that game because of a broken clavicle.

Just three days into camp, Dagres is itching to get into game mode.

“I broke down. I couldn’t believe it,” said Dagres of his injury against the Ramblers. “I was the last person I thought would get hurt. I always contemplated what would happen if we lost this person or that person, never myself.”

Dagres was driven into the cold Slippery Rock University turf on the game’s second play.

He popped back up, but felt numbness and a clicking sound.

Dagres was tackled hard again on the next play, but got back on his feet again and winced as he went to the sideline to get the play.

It didn’t take long for the team trainer to discover the broken bone.

“I went over to the trainer and the trainer felt up into my shoulder pad and told me it was broken,” Dagres said. “We had called another play already and everyone else was running out on the field, so I finished out the series.”

But as soon as possession changed and Dagres came back to the sideline, the trainer escorted Dagres off the field and to the hospital.

Dagres listened to the game on the radio en route to the emergency room. It wasn’t until he reached the hospital and his only connection to the game and his teammates — the radio — was shut off that he realized what had happened.

“I was shell shocked,” he said.

Dagres is healthy now and determined to help Grove City get back to the district title game and beyond.

Grove City’s offense is run dominated — the Eagles gained nearly 4,000 yards on the ground last season. When Dagres gets his chance to air it out, he’s usually been successful.

He averaged 23.7 yards per completion a season ago.

Dagres has all of his weapons back.

That brings a smile to his face.

So does the promise of being involved in the running game.

Dagres was a threat with his legs, rushing for 467 yards and seven scores last season.

He’s even a lead blocker sometimes on running plays.

“I’m out there throwing blocks for the guys, too,” he said.

When those plays come in from the sideline, “I grin a little bit,” he said. “I actually love running up there and sticking my head in the hole and picking someone up.”

Dagres is most excited about getting back out on the field on a Friday night.

That’s something he said he no longer takes for granted.

“That wasn’t the way I wanted to go out last season,” he said. “I’m chomping at the bit to get out there, get into that Friday night phase, when every Friday night you have a game and you’re putting it all out on the line. I missed it from the minute I broke my collarbone and couldn’t play.”