Healthy WIU coach Patterson ready for season

MACOMB -- Don Patterson is back to worrying about Xs and Os, not radiation treatments or chemotherapy.

The veteran Western Illinois football coach says his health is fine after he missed training camp and seven games last fall while battling tonsillar cancer.

"Last summer and fall was really a difficult time," said Patterson, 59, who returned for the Leathernecks' final four games. "My last treatment was last Sept. 16 and three months later to the day they told me I was cancer-free. I'm very confident I'm not going to have a relapse."

Patterson, now in his 11th Western Illinois season, has 10 returning starters from a team that went 6-5 overall, 4-4 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Graduation claimed running back Herb Donaldson, the school's all-time leading rusher, but senior Dre Gibbs (78 carries, 573 yards) appears to be a capable successor.

"One of the reasons (Donaldson) has such success was that Gibbs was the lead blocker the last half of the season," said Patterson. "Now he's back in his traditional position of running back and I'm sure he'll play well."

Also back is two-year starting quarterback Matt Barr, who threw for 1,347 yards last season, and junior wide receiver Lito Senatus, who caught 19 passes for 305 yards. Junior tackle Mike Lamphear is the lone returning starting lineman while guard Nick Daly played in all 11 games.

On defense, middle linebacker Kyle Glazier had a team-high 91 tackles and started all 11 games. Also back is two-time all-conference defensive end Victor Visoky and defensive back Patrick Stoudamire, a four-year starter and 2007 All-American.

Top newcomers include kicker Brian Egan, a Parade Magazine high school All-American from Alabama.

The Leathernecks, projected fifth in a preseason Missouri Valley poll, open Sept. 3 at Sam Houston State.