Comet linemen Cole White and William Wilson to play for Waldorf

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — This may be before the time and/or beyond provincial programming for some, but the offensive line of the Super Bowl-bound Chicago Bears participated in an advertising campaign that parodied and paraphrased the movie The Blues Brothers.

The mantra for these Black and Blues Brothers was to “get the line back together.”

Charles City seniors Cole White and William Wilson may have played their last game together as Comets, but they are in process of getting the line back together — or at least a portion of it — in Forest City as members of the Waldorf University football team.

“Knowing that having someone down there I know … someone I played football with since I was a freshman helped with the decision,” said White, who signed his letter of intent to play for the Warriors last week shortly after Wilson signed on, “but I would have probably chosen to play for them anyway.

“I like the coaching staff … the school and campus. It’s a program that’s on the way up.”

Incidentally, Charles City’s new head football coach, Bryan Bjorklund, was a star player at Waldorf.

A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics program that plays in the North Star Athletic Conference, the Warriors were 6-3 in overall and conference play last season. In addition to new recruits White and Wilson, the Warriors have recently added some NCAA Division I transfers.

Last high school season was a tough one for the Comets as exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the football team for two weeks before restarting and getting immediately thrown back into the fire against some of the state’s higher-ranked teams.

Injuries also plagued the Comets, but when Charles City’s offensive line was healthy, it was able to move the ball effectively up the gut against some formidable defenses.

White, a 260-pound center, was named to the Class 3A-District 3 Offensive Second Team. Wilson, an offensive tackle, was named All-District Academic.

When asked about getting ready to play at the next level, White said he’s going to keep doing what he has been doing.

“I’m going to make sure to hit the weight room and watch what I eat,” said White, who plans to study accounting and business.