MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois University head football coach Don Patterson has announced the signing of 11 high school recruits, ten of which come from the state of Illinois. With the loss of just 11 seniors, the 11-2 Leathernecks look to the 2003 race with optimism.?We are most gratified by the very positive response that we have gotten from the student-athletes and coaches within our state,? said Patterson. ?With the addition of still another group of outstanding high school players, the future of Leatherneck football has never been brighter.?The signees include linebacker Travis Cherry (Glenbard North), defensive lineman Brandon Cody (Morton), kicker/punter Kristopher Coffee (Downers Grove South), offensive lineman Quartez Moore (Morgan Park), quarterback Matt O?Toole (Dixie Heights (KY)), wide receiver Derek Rademaker (Pekin), offensive lineman Ryan Spears (Rockford Lutheran), defensive lineman Shawn Sung (Wheaton North), offensive lineman Drew Sweeney (Rockford Guilford), linebacker David Townsend (Hillcrest) and defensive back Milan Woodard (Edwardsville).Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown High SchoolTravis Cherry LB 6-1 210 Fr. Carol Stream, IL Glenbard NorthBrandon Cody DL 6-3 230 Fr. Morton, IL MortonKristopher Coffee K/P 6-1 180 Fr. Downers Grove, IL Downers Grove SouthQuartez Moore OL 6-3 295 Fr. Chicago, IL Morgan ParkMatt O?Toole QB 6-3 200 Fr. Fort Mitchell, KY Dixie HeightsDerek Rademaker WR 6-1 180 Fr. Pekin, IL PekinRyan Spears OL 6-4 280 Fr. Rockford, IL Rockford LutheranShawn Sung DL 6-3 295 Fr. Wheaton, IL Wheaton NorthDrew Sweeney OL 6-3 275 Fr. Rockford, IL Rockford GuilfordDavid Townsend LB 6-3 215 Fr. Country Club Hills, IL HillcrestMilan Woodard DB 5-10 185 Fr. Edwardsville, IL EdwardsvilleCherry, a 6-1, 210-pound linebacker, earned All-DuPage Valley Conference, all-area and all-state honors as a linebacker at Glenbard North High School. The team captain and team?s Most Valuable Player averaged 15 tackles per game over his junior and senior seasons. Cherry handled the long-snapping duties on a 2000 team that advanced to the state championship game. He is also a three-year letterwinner in wrestling, currently carrying a 36-0 record and a 5.0 grade point average (on a scale of 5.0). Cody, a 6-3, 230-pound defensive lineman, was a three-year varsity player at Morton High School, playing both defensive end and offensive guard. The all-conference player and captain, who will play defensive line for the Leathernecks, was also a four-year varsity letterwinner and captain in wrestling.Coffee, a 6-1, 180-pound kicker and punter, earned all-conference, all-area and all-state honors for Downers Grove South High School as both a junior and a senior. His 2001 team won the Illinois Class 8A state championships, and his 2002 squad advanced to the state quarterfinals. His two-year kicking statistics include 85 extra points, 70 touchbacks, 17 field goals and a 40.8 yard punting average. Coffee also played three years of baseball.Moore, a 6-3, 295-pound offensive lineman, was named to the All-Illini Southeast squad, and played in the 2001 Prep Bowl at Soldier Field. He was an all-conference selection at Morgan Park, captain of the offensive line, and led his team to the Public League championship game as a senior. Moore also competes in track and field, and is an honor roll student. O?Toole, a 6-3, 200-pound quarterback, the only one of the 11 recruits from outside the state of Illinois, is the first quarterback in northern Kentucky history to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in the same season. A first-team all-state quarterback, O?Toole was named the 2002 NKAC Division I Player of the Year and the 2002 Enquirer Northern Kentucky Player of the Year, and the 2002 District 6 Player of the Year. As a senior in 2002, the two-year captain completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,030 yards, 15 touchdowns and only two interceptions, while rushing 134 times for 1,191 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has also earned three letters in basketball and is captain of an 18-2 team as a senior.Rademaker, a 6-1, 180-pound wide receiver, was a four-time All-Mid-State 6 Conference player, a two-time all-area player and all-state selection who set the all-time Illinois High School reception record with 217 career catches. As a senior, he was named to all-state teams by the Illinois Football Coaches Association, the Champaign News Gazette, the Chicago Sun Times and the Chicago Tribune. Rademaker was also selected to the All-Star Illinois Shrine Game after setting a school and area record with 94 receptions for 1,272 yards. He finished his Pekin High School career with 3,045 yards and 37 touchdowns. Rademaker was also a four-year starter in basketball, starting every football and basketball game in his four-year career.Spears, a 6-4, 280-pound offensive lineman, was a two-way starter at offensive line and defensive line for four years at Rockford Lutheran High School. After being named a JV captain as a freshman, Spears became a three-time all-conference lineman, earning the Best Defensive Lineman award as a sophomore and the Best Offensive Lineman award as a junior and senior. In 2002, he was named a Player to Watch by the Chicago Tribune, and one of the Top Five Players in the Private School League by the Chicago Sun Times. Selected to all-state teams by the Illinois High School Coaches Association and the Champaign News-Gazette, Spears was also nominated to play in the East-West All-Star Shrine Game. Spears is the defending Class A 275-pound state champion in wrestling, compiling a 39-1 record as a junior. He is currently unbeaten and ranked first in Class A as a senior.Sung, a 6-3, 295-pound defensive lineman from Wheaton North High School, was named the squad?s Best Defensive Lineman in 2002. Also as a senior, the team captain helped the Falcons to a 12-1 record and a DuPage Valley Conference title. He also participated in basketball and volleyball. Sweeney, a 6-3, 275-pound offensive lineman, was an all-conference squad member at Guilford High School. The team captain was named the Offensive Line MVP, and was also a captain and all-conference selection in wrestling. He was also selected as Most Valuable Wrestler as a junior.Townsend, a 6-3, 215-pound linebacker, was a two-time all-conference selection at Hillcrest High School. He was also selected to the First Team All-Area and First Team Class 6A All-State lists. He led his football team into the Class 6A state playoffs in 2002. As the starting center for the basketball team, Townsend?s squad is currently ranked fourth in the state.Woodard, a 5-10, 185-pound defensive back, earned first team all-conference, all-area, all-metro and all-state honors at Edwardsville High School. As both a junior and a senior, he was named Defensive Player of the Year by the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the Alton Telegraph and the Belleville News Democrat. Woodard?s team posted 12-2 records and advanced to the Class 7A state title game in each of his last two seasons. He holds the school rushing record of 3,912 career yards and also recorded a school-best 12 career interceptions. Woodard was selected to play in the Illinois Shrine All-Star Game, and was also a state-qualifying track and field athlete. - western illinois football -