Comets storm over Huskies 34-0

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — The area has suffered a couple of droughts as of late.

Both came to an end last Friday in a blitzkrieg of lightning and thunder.

“We didn’t know what to expect but we knew it was going to be wild,” Charles City head football coach Bryan Bjorklund said after his Comets “stormed” to a 34-0 lead over the Oelwein Huskies before a coming second front prompted the end of the game with 10:02 left in the fourth quarter. Charles City was declared the victor.

“Before the game, we witnessed a tornado (southwest) of the city,” Bjorklund said of one of two tornadoes reported late afternoon in Floyd County. “We were glad to get the game in … but that may have helped fire us up.”

The repeated supercell activity dropped nearly eight inches of rain on a region that desperately needed it. But between the storms the Comets proved to be a force of nature themselves while scoring 28 points in a span of little more than five clocked minutes in the second quarter. That essentially sealed the “W” before game and school officials called it a night allowing game participants and spectators to vacate Comet Field minutes before a torrential downpour.

The victory represented Bjorklund’s first as a head coach as he was hired to lead the Comets during the offseason after serving as an assistant coach at Mason City.

The win also ended the team’s 11-game losing streak extending back to 2019 — incidentally, the Comets’ last victory was against Oelwein.

The Comets struck early. On the game’s first snap, senior quarterback Ian Collins swung a pass to Mario Hoefer, who reversed field while taking advantage of several well-placed blocks before seizing a lane down the right sidelines for a 60-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

Collins and Hoefer hooked up again for another big-yardage scoring pass — this time with a little more downfield action as Hoefer got a step or two on his defender and Collins led him perfectly with a six-point strike encompassing 70 yards.

As impressive as those pass plays were, it may have been Collins’ third TD pass of the night that really took the wind out of the Huskies’ sails — tornadoes be damned.

Throughout the game, Collins enjoyed vanguard protection from his offensive line. At times, the Comets on offense seemed like they were playing adult league flag football where the un-rushed quarterback surveys the field with unperturbed patience while receivers scramble to get open with eternity on their side.

But when the Huskies did pressure Collins, he morphed from Ken Stabler into Fran Tarkenton, eluding would-be tacklers in the backfield while extending plays to nearly 20 seconds. That’s what he did with little more than four minutes remaining in the first half before — from about the right hash mark — throwing across the field to the left sideline to an open Trimel Christian, who did the rest while breaking a few tacklers before reaching the end zone on a 14-yard play that capped the scoring.

Collins completed 5 of 10 passes for 160 yards and the three aforementioned TDs. He also scored on a 14-yard keeper.

Christian had earlier scored from 7 yards out to give the Comets a 12-0 lead with 9:12 left in the second quarter.

Christian also scored a 2-point conversion run, as did senior Colton Crooks, who led the Comets with 46 rushing yards on 13 carries.

Charles City’s defense limited the Huskies to just 101 yards of total offense. Senior running back Austin Perry accounted for most of that with 87 rushing yards on 25 carries.

Charles City junior Ethan Peterson led the Comets’ with 11 tackles — 8 solo and three for losses. Peterson also recovered a fumble caused by a hit from Chase Crooks.

Junior Kayden Blunt accounted for two of the three forced turnovers by the Comets with an interception and a fumble recovery.

After halftime, most of the thunder and lightning had receded — referring to Comet football highlights — as the sodden turf and damp air began to take its toll with players from both sides getting laid low with leg cramps.

Oelwein did sustain a drive that accounted for much of its offensive output, penetrating deep into the Comets’ red zone. But on a fourth-and-goal snap from the 3-yard line, Comet pressure and coverage forced an incomplete pass keeping the Huskies off the board.

After the stand by the Comets and with ominous storm clouds heralding their approach with white-bright bursts and thunderous claps, the game was called.

CHARLES CITY 34, OELWEIN 0

Scoring By Quarters

OELWEIN 0 0 0 * — 0

CHARLES CITY 6 28 0 * — 34

* Game called with 10:02 left in 4th quarter.

Scoring Summary

CC — Mario Hoefer 60-yard pass from Ian Collins (Pass failed), 11:39 1st — 6-0

CC — Trimel Christian 7-yard run (Pass failed), 9:12 2nd — 12-0

CC — Collins 14-yard run (Christian run), 6:32 2nd — 20-0

CC — Hoefer 70-yard pass from Collins (Colton Crooks run), 5:27 2nd — 28-0

CC — Christian 14-pass from Collins (Run failed), 3:53 2nd — 34-0

RECORDS — Charles City 1-0; Oelwein 0-1