MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois University head football coach Don Patterson has announced the signing of 12 student-athletes who have officially committed to the 2004 Leatherneck squad, including the St. Louis All-Metro defensive player of the year and two other members of the all-metro team.?We are especially proud of these young men that are new to our program,? Patterson said. ?They exhibit a winning combination of character, commitment, and athletic ability. We have no doubt that they will represent Leatherneck football with a true dedication to excellence.?The 12 signees include Michael Black (North Miami Beach, Fla./Pasadena City College), Richard Brown (Wooden Hills, Calif./L.A. Valley Community College), Herbert Donaldson (St. Louis, Mo./CBC), Alex Douglas (Quincy, Ill./Quincy), Dan Gabris (St. Louis, Mo./Lindbergh), Jason Hayth (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway West), Marcell Phiffer (Washington Park, Ill./East St. Louis), Darius Powell (Hazel Crest, Ill./Hillcrest), Nasir Sadat (Philadelphia, Pa./Lackawanna Junior College), Severino Sangro (Montrose, N.Y./University of Illinois), Zack Wells (Muscatine, Iowa/Muscatine) and Jason Williams (Chicago, Ill./DuSable).Black, a 6-foot-4-inch, 275-pound offensive lineman, was a second-team all-stater at North Miami Beach High School who capped his three-year varsity career with an appearance in the Cali-Florida Bowl. He helped his team to a district championship and a 9-3 record as a senior. He was also a wrestling and track and field athlete in high school before playing one season as the starting right tackle at Pasadena City College.Brown, a 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back, registered 90 tackles, four interceptions, 15 pass breakups and five fumble recoveries, including one returned for a touchdown, in a two-year career at Los Angeles Valley College. As a high school standout, Brown tallied 40 tackles, 10 pass breakups, one interception and four fumble recoveries while earning all-conference recognition his senior season.Donaldson, a 5-foot-11-inch, 210-pound running back is one of three Western Illinois signees named to the St. Louis Post Dispatch All-Metro Team. Honored as a linebacker at Christian Brothers College High School, was the Metro Catholic Conference co-player of the year, Donaldson posted 39 tackles and rushed 184 times for 1,356 yards and scored 20 touchdowns. He had 241 yards rushing and four touchdowns against St. Louis University High School, and helped his team to a 7-3 overall record and league championship.Douglas, a 5-foot-11-inch, 190-pound running back, ran for 2,204 yards and 22 touchdowns in two seasons as the starting tailback at Quincy High School and led the Western Big 6 Conference in rushing as a senior. The Quincy Herald Whig All-Area Team member and all-conference honoree also led the team in receptions and was the back-to-back winner of the Most Valuable Player award. He also served as the varsity punter for three years and played free safety as a junior and linebacker as a senior.Gabris , a 6-foot-2-inch, 220-pound linebacker at Lindbergh High School, was named the St. Louis Post Dispatch Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Flyers to a 9-3 record and an apperance in the Class 6 semifinal game with 127 total tackles, 89 solo tackles, five sacks and 19 tackles for loss. He made at least 14 tackles in four different games, was honored on the first-team all-conference, all-district and all-state lists, and was also selected as the defensive player of the year by both the Suburban West Conference and the Class 6 coaches poll. As the starting fullback in his last two years, Gabris carried the ball 153 times for 766 yards and seven touchdowns.Hayth, a 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound defensive back, is another Suburban West Conference product out of Parkway West High School. Hayth registered 53 tackles in the final three games of his senior season, after suffering an injury at the start of the season, and was named the defensive MVP as a sophomore. He was also an all-conference performer and district qualifier in track and field.Phiffer, a 5-foot-10-inch, 175-pound wide receiver, caught 27 passes for 705 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior at East St. Louis High School. One of just three all-purpose athletes selected to the St. Louis Post Dispatch All-Metro Team, he accounted for 100 points with a total of 15 touchdowns and five two-point conversions, also playing quarterback, defensive back, kick returner and punt returner. Phiffer, who was a three-year starter at the same high school as former Leatherneck and longtime NFL player Bryan Cox, was named all-conference as both a wide receiver and defensive back, and was a Chicago Tribune all-state team honoree.Powell, a 6-foot-4-inch, 255-pound offensive lineman was a Chicago Sun-Times preseason top 100 player prior to his senior season, and earned back-to-back all-conference honors in his final two seasons, serving as a team captain both years. He helped Hillcrest High School to three straight conference titles, and was a two-time honor roll student. Powell was also a standout in the shot put.Sadat, a 6-foot-1, 240-pound fullback, was among Lackawanna College?s leading rushers and also excelled as a receiver coming out of the backfield for the nationally-ranked Falcons. He carried the ball 38 times for 202 yards and caught 13 passes for 63 yards as a freshman, and rushed 36 times for 231 yards and one touchdown and hauled in one pass for 53 yards as a sophomore. He started 16 of 21 games over the last two seasons. Sadat was a four-year starting linebacker in high school, recording more than 100 tackles as a senior while recovering four fumbles and forcing 10. He carried the ball 39 times for 900 yards and 12 touchdowns, and was selected to the All-Public League first team as a linebacker his junior season and as a fullback his senior year.Sangro, a 6-foot-5-inch, 320-pound offensive lineman, was a two-time all-Northeast Football Conference honoree at Hudson Valley Community College before attending the University of Illinois last season. In high school, Sangro was an all-conference, all-section and all-state nominee.Wells, a 6-foot-2-inch, 200-pound lefthanded quarterback, threw for 2,092 yards and 22 touchdowns on 159-of-268 passing and ran for 783 yards and 12 touchdowns on 165 carries his senior season at Muscatine High School. During his career in which he amassed a 16-6 record as a starter, he threw for a school-record 3,851 yards and 40 touchdowns while rushing for 1,108 yards - the fourth-highest mark in school history. Wells earned honors as the 2003 Mississippi Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Quad City Times Player of the Year and first-team all-state selection.Williams, a 6-foot-3-inch, 210-pound athlete, is from Chicago?s DuSable High School. Williams played quarterback during his senior season and led the Panthers to an undefeated mark in the Chicago Public League?s Intra-City Central Conference. For a career, Williams rushed for 2,988 yards, threw for 3,015 and scored 71 total touchdowns (35 rushing and 36 passing). He is a two-time all-city and all-section performer. Williams also excels in basketball and track and field, owning a personal best of 22-feet-7-inches in the long jump.