On Friday, 150 high school football players participated in the annual Sanford Sports Academy High School Football Tournament, all hoping to get noticed by college football programs.
The combine has been held for 12 years and hosts representatives from 25 college football programs in the area, including South Dakota State University, Augustana University, the University of Sioux Falls and the University of South Dakota.
“This is an opportunity to bring in area coaches and area kids and kind of start the recruiting process for a lot of them,” said Sanford Sports Football Academy Director Curtis Riggs. he said.
The combine brought together the elite of the elite in South Dakota high school football and beyond. The participating athletes came from a variety of locations, from Sioux Falls, Arizona, to Phoenix. However, all players were nominated by coaches and evaluated based on their recent performance before being invited to Sanford Fieldhouse. Of the 150 total participants, 90 also participated in Elite Training, a six-week program to help prepare for the combine.
“The biggest thing is visual inspection,” Riggs said of what coaches are looking for at a combine like this one. “The first thing they said was, 'Show me the outside of the athlete's helmet and shoulder pads,' and then, 'Let's take a look at the frame. Can I take it to a college campus and make a mold?' That's what we're paying attention to.”
The four Sioux Falls area athletes caught on tape are:
Players are listed alphabetically by last name
Willem Kattenberg, OL/DL, SF Christian, Class of 2025
Kattenberg was the fastest offensive lineman in attendance. He ranked first in his position group with a 1.82 time in the 10-yard sprint and a 5.25 time in the 40-yard sprint.
He also finished atop the professional agility leaderboard with a 4.94 score, just ahead of Chargers teammate Lincoln Semchenko, who is a standout in his own right. Kattenberg also showed off his explosiveness in the jump test, finishing fourth among other offensive linemen in the vertical jump and fifth in the long jump.
Preston Marty, WR, Lincoln, Class of 2026
Lincoln may be losing a few good wide receivers to graduation, but if the combine performance is any indication, Marty will next take on a bigger role in the Patriots' offense. Maybe.
The wide receiver's versatility in the 2026 class was on full display during the physical testing period at the combine. He finished fourth among wide receivers in both the 10-yard dash and 40-yard dash, and ranked fifth in broad jump, fifth in pro agility, and seventh in vertical jump.
Randy Nimley, DB, Lincoln, Class of 2025
Neemry showed that he appears to have all the tools needed at the defensive back position. He showed speed, running the 10-yard sprint in just 1.7 seconds, good for first place in his position group.
Nimily also placed first in the group in the long jump, fourth in the vertical jump and fourth in pro agility.
Mekhi Zucker, Brandon Valley, Delaware, Class of 2026
Sacher had perhaps the most impressive performance of the combine. His explosiveness and athleticism jump off the page.
The 2026 class defensive end ranked first in his position group in four of the five physical tests, including a 32.5-inch jump in the vertical jump, a 9.1-inch jump in the broad jump, and a time of 1.71 seconds in the 10-yard sprint. It became. And the 40 yard sprint was a 4.96 time.
Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. To contact him, jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter @JFERN31.