GLEN MILLS, PA — Coltan Turner played a season in a game Friday night. He blamed himself for how last year ended, even though he was not his fault. The Garnet Valley senior vividly remembers watching the seniors on the 2025 team walk off the field in a teary farewell, the final score scorched on his brain from the Jags’ PIAA District 1 class 5A quarterfinal playoff loss to Chester.
He vowed to do something about it this season.
He locked himself in the weight room. He ate everything in sight. He bulked up, adding 30 pounds. He underwent a transformational spring on the baseball field, becoming the Jags’ No. 1 pitcher, instilling a boost of confidence. It all translated into what he did Friday night.
Last season, the Jags finished 8-4, a good year, but not exactly the standard set for the perennial District 1 champion contender. Turner started every game, throwing for a total of three touchdowns and 500 yards.
On Friday night, he exceeded that, while establishing a school single-game milestone in the process.
Turner threw for a Garnet Valley single-game record 5 touchdown passes and 247 yards in the Jags’ season-opening 63-34 victory over District 11 Nazareth. He threw just 10 passes, completing eight, five remarkably that were touchdowns of 80, 65, 28, 23 and 12 yards.
Three of the five TD passes came on a variation of what appeared to be the same play.
For Turner, he was like a shaken human soda bottle ready to explode once the cap was lifted.
“Yeah, it is a little hard to believe,” Turner said. “I did blame myself for what happened last year. I had three passing TDs last year—I had five tonight. I played every snap. I wanted to send the seniors out better than that. It’s why I blame myself.
“I remember the score of that last game last year, 38-7, and that was terrible. I blamed myself for that. That was in the back of my mind this entire offseason. Every lift, every throw this offseason, I thought about those seniors. I was 150 pounds this time last year.”
He weighed in at 180 this August. He was not only sturdy physically; he was much sturdier mentally. He admitted he was nervous in the pocket last season, and Friday night, he was poised and calculating.
He almost achieved in one night what he did all last season.
“We ran a lot of tight end seams tonight and we ran variations off that. The offensive line gave me plenty of time. My night was easy,” Turner said. “I used to come to Garnet Valley games when I was in grade school. We were the team to beat, the best team in the Central League and the best team in the district. In the last few years, we kind of lost that identity. We plan on getting it back this year. This was just the start. We think we can beat anyone.”
The Jags certainly looked the part.
Turner completed passes to six different receivers. And when Turner’s arm was not wreaking havoc, senior running back Luke Bernard was barreling through the Nazareth defense for a career-best 146 yards rushing on 11 carries, senior Ethan Vaughn and junior Roy Pomarico each scored twice, while junior safety Brody “Bobby” Orr was all over the field, making 14 tackles, including special teams stops, scoring the first TD of the season on a 65-yard reception from Turner, and defending four passes.
“Our theme this year is to leave no doubt, and we don’t want to see any missed assignments,” Bernard said. “We do have a standard here, and it is high, built by the guys before us and the coaches. We came into this season with chip on our shoulders. After we lost to Chester, I was in the weight room the next day.
“Coltan transformed his body, a lot of guys did, like (guard) Sam Barclift, and (center) Nicky Potts. It is kind of amazing though. I didn’t know Coltan only three touchdowns last year. I saw his social media in the offseason. I know the work he put in.”
Jaguars’ coach Eric Van Wyk did not see Turner take a day off since the district playoff loss last November.
“Coltan’s confidence grew since last year, and last year was absolutely not his fault,” Van Wyk said. “He is a selfless player. It’s why it was special to see the team rally behind him. We have had numerous guys throw four TDs in a game, but we’re Garnet Valley, we run the ball. It’s a special record. We had six different receivers with catches. Coltan has always taken pride in throwing the ball. The execution of his throws was spot on.
“The difference in him last year and this year is his poise in the pocket and he knows what guys will be there.”
Nazareth coach Tom Falzone saw breakdowns defensively, but there was a lot to like about the Blue Eagles’ offense, namely junior quarterback Cooper Madson, who threw for 207 yards and a touchdown, and senior Matt Leluga, who scored twice.
Falzone saw two costly penalties in the first half negate a touchdown and take away a first down when the game was still competitive. What he will certainly address is on three of Turner’s five touchdowns, Jaguar receivers were completely wide open down the middle of the field, with the nearest defender maybe 10 yards away.
“I don’t have an answer for that, we had busted coverages the entire night,” Falzone said. “I actually get mesmerized by the kind of offense Garnet Valley runs. You get lost in the backfield, but to constantly do it, it kills you. We made mistakes in every aspect of the game. There is nowhere to go but up from where we are right now.”
Scoring Summary
Nazareth 7 10 7 10-34
Garnet Valley 21 14 7 21-63
1st Quarter
GV– Brody Orr 65 pass from Coltan Turner (Owen Zweier kick), 8:04
Naz. – Matt Leluga 12 pass from Cooper Madson (Owen Hall kick), 3:57
GV – Roy Pomarico 2 run (Zweier kick), 1:36
GV – Ethan Vaughn 28 pass from Turner (Zweier kick), :13
2nd Quarter
Naz. – Will Bacolo 4 run (Hall kick), 8:34
GV – Michael Buono 23 pass from Turner (Zweier kick), 6:30
GV – Hadrian Krauss 5 run (Zweier kick), 1:06
Naz. – Hall 36 FG, :02
3rd Quarter
Naz. – Bacolo 1 run (Hall kick), 3:58
GV – Pomarico 20 run (Zweier kick), 1:44
4th Quarter
Naz. – Hall 24 FG, 10:37
GV – Vaughn 80 pass from Turner (Zweier kick), 10:25
GV – Evan McCabe 12 from Turner (Zweier kick), 6:38
Naz. – Leluga 86 kickoff return (Hall kick), 6:26
GV – Sebastian Cantu 6 run (Zweier kick), 4:17
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball.