South Dakota high school football: Four players who impressed at Sanford Sports Academy Combine

One-hundred-fifty high school football players attended the annual Sanford Sports Academy High School Football Combine on Friday, all hoping to catch the eye of college football programs.

The combine, which has taken place 12 years now, hosted representatives from 25 college football programs in the area, including South Dakota State, Augustana, the University of Sioux Falls and South Dakota.

“It's a chance to bring area coaches and area kids, and kind of start the recruiting process for a lot of them,” Kurtiss Riggs, Director of the Sanford Sports Football Academy, said.

The combine featured the elite of the elite in South Dakota high school football and beyond. Athletes in attendance were from a range of locations, stretching from Sioux Falls to Phoenix, Arizona. But every player was nominated by their coach and evaluated based on their recent performance before being invited to come out to the Sanford Fieldhouse. Of the 150 total participants, 90 of them also participated in "elite training," a six-week program that helped them prepare for the combine.

"The biggest thing is the eyeball test," Riggs said of what coaches look for at combines like this one. "The first 'Let me see the athlete outside of the helmet and shoulder pads', and 'llt me look at their frame and can we take that to the college campus and mold it?' That's the first thing they're looking at."

Here are four Sioux Falls-area athletes that impressed on tape:

Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name

Willem Kattenberg, OL/DL, SF Christian, Class of 2025

Kattenberg separated himself as the quickest among the offensive linemen in attendance. He ended the combine ranked first in his position group in the 10-yard sprint, with a 1.82 time, and the 40-yard sprint, with a 5.25 time.

He also finished at the top of the positional leaderboard in pro agility with a 4.94 score, just ahead of Chargers teammate Lincoln Semchenko, a standout in his own right. Kattenberg looked explosive in the jumping tests as well, finishing fourth among other offensive linemen in the vertical and fifth in the broad jump.

Preston Marty, WR, Lincoln, Class of 2026

Lincoln may be losing a couple of great wide receivers to graduation, but if the combine results are any indication, Marty could be next in line to take on a larger role in the Patriots' offense.

The class of 2026 wide receiver’s versatility was on full display during the physical testing period of the combine. He finished fourth among wide receivers in both the 10- and 40-yard dashes and ranked fifth in the broad jump, fifth in pro agility and seventh in the vertical jump.

Randy Nimely, DB, Lincoln, Class of 2025

Nimely showed he seemingly has all the tools needed at the defensive back position. He showcased his speed, running the 10-yard sprint in just 1.7 seconds, good for first in his position group.

Nimely also finished first among the group in the broad jump, fourth in the vertical jump, and fourth in pro agility.

Mekhi Zacher, DE, Brandon Valley, Class of 2026

Zacher had perhaps the most impressive showing of anyone in the combine. His explosiveness and athleticism leap off the page.

The class of 2026 defensive end ranked first in his position group in four of the five physical tests, including the vertical jump with a 32.5” jump, the broad jump with a 9.1” leap, the 10-yard sprint with a 1.71 second time, and the 40-yard sprint with a 4.96 time.

Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota high school football combine: Four players who impressed