Nansemond River’s Donald Turner likes to score touchdowns any way he can.
He can catch passes for them. Or run for them. How about intercept a pass and return it for a touchdown? He has even scored on a punt return.
So who knows how he’ll score in tonight’s game?
The Warriors play host to the Southampton Indians in a Bay Rivers District matchup between two of the district’s three unbeaten teams.
Turner, a wide receiver and cornerback, is looking to lead his team to a state championship.
”So far, I’m having a great season,” he said. ”Before the season started, I didn’t think we’d be this successful. I knew we had the talent. We just had to put it all together. It’s clicked, and now we’re winning some games.”
Turner, 17, can be called a play-maker and a play-breaker. He is ranked among the Bay Rivers District leaders in scoring (eighth, with three touchdowns).
He’s first in the district in receiving with six catches for 187 yards and one touchdown. He is averaging 31.2 yards per catch, and 9.8 yards per carry.
On defense, he has also picked off six passes this season, one of which he ran back for a score. The 5-foot-9, 165-pound senior also has 12 unassisted tackles and 14 assisted tackles.
”He’s a natural athlete,” Nansemond River head coach Jerry Varacallo said. ”He’s probably one of the best athletes in the school. I knew at the beginning of the season, he’d do well. But I never expected the interceptions. He has also broken up lots of passes. He’s definitely dangerous. Anything can happen when he has the ball.”
Turner said he prefers to play at wide receiver because in that position he can score more. He has hopes of leading the district in scoring and receiving. ”I’ve been successful, but my personal goals this season are to finish the season with 10 interceptions and 10 touchdowns,” he said. ”My best game so far was our win over Matoaca where I had the interceptions and the game-winning touchdown.”
Turner said he plays football for the contact. He said his brother encouraged him to start playing, and when he was a freshman, he and others from his neighborhood tried out for the team together. He made the varsity team that year. Turner also plays center field for the school’s baseball team.
This season, the offensive line and the defensive line have helped Turner improve his statistics. The offensive line, he said, does the blocking to let quarterback Leon Porter get the passes off.
And the defensive line pressures the opponents’ quarterbacks to throw bad passes he can easily pick off. Without the lines, Turner said, the team would not be as successful as it has been.
After high school, Turner said he hopes to play at either an Atlantic Coast Conference school or a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association school. He has not narrowed his choices down beyond the conferences.
