Nearly 200 middle school athletes and 1,750 athletes in total took the field at Cerritos College for the Los Angeles Nike SPARQ Combine. Easily the biggest turnout at a SPARQ combine thus far this season, no records were broken on the middle school level but there were a few surprises. Namely, a 2019 athlete (current 7th grade) cracked the top five SPARQ ratings, as did a defensive lineman. Both have been rarely done this combine season.
The top overall rating went to Baraq Ross of California who finished with a 64.26 SPARQ rating. Ross played this season with one of the top teams in the state, the Carson Colts. Ross measured in on the smaller side at only 5â4â and 142 pounds pay no attention to that size because he showed he can play and belongs with the tops in the country. Ross finished in the top five of all but combine drill including a fourth place finish in the 40-yard dash with a 4.87 (only .03 behind the leader) and tied for second in the power ball toss with 32 feet. His toss of 32 feet was better than all but two offensive/defensive lineman at the combine.
A week ago, in Houston, wide receiver Elisha Guidry finished with the best middle school rating at the combine. This week, at his second SPARQ combine in as many weeks, Guidry finished with a SPARQ rating of 63.96âthe second best rating. Though his rating was a few points lower than his Houston performance, Guidry still finished third in the 40-yard dash with a 4.86 and second in the vertical jump with a 33.1. Personally Guidry improved 1.5 feet in his power ball toss and 2.1 inches in his vertical jump in just a weekâs time.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the combine was the third place finish of 7th quarterback prospect Titus Toler with a SPARQ rating of 63.84. His rating now stands alone as the best of any 2019 prospect to come through the SPARQ combines this year; the next highest athlete is 7.98 points behind him and the next closes quarterback is 18. Toler, who measured in at nearly 5â10 and 145 pounds had a solid overall combine but really had his shining moment in the vertical jump where he recorded a combine-best 35.6 inches. In terms of comparing him to other 2019 athletes this year, he now sits fifth overall in the shuttle run (4.44) sixth in the power ball toss (30.5) and first in the vertical jump (35.6).
Rounding out the top five SPARQ ratings for the weekend were running back Alex Escobar with a 63.21 and defensive lineman Robert Fuiava with a 60.63. Escobar had a strong showing at the combine with fourth place finishes in both the shuttle (4.44) and vertical jump (31.7). In terms of Fuiava, his rating was the highest of any defensive lineman on the SPARQ combine tour thus far this year. Standing 6â1 and 204 pounds, the athletic prospect showed good speed for a bigger guy with a sub-5.0 forty time and finished tied for a combine-best 34.5 feet in the power ball toss.
In addition to the aforementioned Titus Toler, 2019 running back Jamaal Bell had a nice afternoon with a SPARQ rating of 50.67. The rating put him second for the class of 2019 in Los Angeles and fifth overall nationally. His most impressive combine score was his 4.91 in the 40-yard dash, which ties him for the third nationally for the class of 2019.
 Baraq Ross |
 Elisha Guidry |
 Titus Toler |
 Alex Escobar |
 Robert Fuiava |
 Jamaal Bell |
SPARQ Ratings
1. DB Baraq Ross, 2018 â 64.26
2. WR Elisha Guidry, 2018 â 63.96
3. QB Titus Toler, 2019 â 63.84
4. RB Alex Escobar, 2018 â 63.21
5. DL Robert Fuiava, 2018 â 60.63
40 Yard Dash
1. DB Brendan Radley-Hiles, 2018 â 4.84
2. DB TJ Pledger, 2018 â 4.85
T2. QB Keith Jobes, 2018 â 4.85
3. WR Elisha Guidry, 2018 â 4.86
4. DB Baraq Ross, 2018 â 4.87
20-Yard Shuttle
1. DB Cameron Jones, 2018 â 4.19
2. DB Tristan West, 2018 â 4.31
3. WR Lateef Birks, 2018 â 4.37
4. RB Alex Escobar, 2018 â 4.4
5. DB Baraq Ross, 2018 â 4.43
Power Ball Throw
1. DL Robert Fuiava, 2018 â 34.5
T1. RB Wiley Purry, 2018 â 34.5
2. DB Baraq Ross, 2018 â 32
T2. DL Marquis Knighten, 2018 â 32
3. WR Jalen Hall, 2018 â 31.5
Vertical Jump
1. QB Titus Toler, 2019 â 35.6
2. WR Elisha Guidry, 2018 â 33.1
3. DB Bryce Smith, 2018 â 32.7
4. RB Alex Escobar, 2018 â 31.7
5. OL Rashad Gage, 2018 â 31.6
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