News

Updated June 25, 2020

Each year, the Riggs Premier Football Academy showcases top high school football athletes from the upper Midwest with a pro-style combine. This year, the combine took on a much different look but still helped show off the area’s best talent.

The combine was run in small groups over several days with coaches and scouts watching online rather than in person. The number of participants was about half of the normal group size.

Athletes were tested in the 40-yard and 10-yard sprints, pro-agility test, vertical jump, and broad jump this year. Here are how the results stacked up.

40-Yard Sprint

The 40-yard sprint is a staple at combines. Although it’s rare to run a straightaway of 40 yards during an actual game, coaches are interested in the players' overall speed and athleticism, and the 40 gives them that information. Athletes are clocked on professional automatic timing systems to get accurate times. Angel Johnson (2021) of Viborg-Hurley was the only participant to break the elite 4.7 time.

10-Yard Sprint

The 10-yard sprint is a split of the athletes 40-time. It gives scouts an accurate read on the players burst off the line. Athletes are clocked on professional automatic timing systems to get accurate times. Once again, Angel Johnson (2021) of Viborg-Hurley led all competitors, with Tate Johnson (2021) and Joey Nemec (2021) of Brandon Valley staying right there with Angel.

Pro-Agility

The pro-agility test showcases the athlete’s ability to change direction and get to top speed. Athletes are clocked on professional automatic timing systems to get accurate times. Landon Ruesink (2022) of Dell Rapids sped past the competition with Lincoln Boetel (2021) of Harrisburg close behind.

Vertical Jump

Jumping is a huge part of football, and the vertical jump measures how high a player can sky above their reach. This gives scouts a more accurate assessment of a player’s range. Brock Ping jumped out of the Field House with a 40.5 inch vertical. Only six players at the 2020 NFL combine jumped higher.

Broad Jump

The broad jump was added to the high school combine this year. This helps scouts focus on pure leg strength and athleticism as they have to stick the landing. Brock Ping showed his stuff once again with a 10’1” jump with Lincoln Boetel of Harrisburg also jumping 10 feet.