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Although school was closed by a winter storm on Wednesday, DeMatha High School football coach Bill McGregor was up early to spend a few minutes working out on his treadmill before heading to the Hyattsville school for an annual rite of passage.

McGregor had planned to see an even dozen of his seniors formally finalize their college plans by signing national letters of intent. But he had to upgrade it to a "baker's dozen" when Indiana University of Pennsylvania increased the amount of its scholarship offer to Michael Meriweather and rushed copies of the signing papers to his parents in time for the ceremony.

Wednesday marked the 20th consecutive year DeMatha has had National Signing Day activities including at least 10 athletes. In addition to the football team's 13 players, the DeMatha soccer team had eight signees, and cross country runner Cory Puffett also took part in the festivities, held annually the first Wednesday of February.

"It's fantastic," McGregor said. "Every year we have 10 or 12 kids signing to play football in college. We start making sure they're prepared at the end of their junior year, with their grades and with SATs. We make sure they take the SATs in March, that way if their score is not high enough they can take it again in May or June. A lot of these guys are going to great schools, and we try to make sure they find the right fit between football and academics."

Over the past 20 years McGregor has sent more than 200 seniors to major universities across the country. Seven DeMatha graduates played in the National Football League in 2009, and an eighth, Jake Bender, recently signed a three-year deal with the New York Giants. But until Wednesday's official signing day when two-way lineman Arie Kouandjio signed with the University of Alabama, McGregor had never sent any of his players to the defending NCAA champion.

"He just made his decision on Tuesday," McGregor said of Kouandjio. "I think a lot of it had to do with making sure that he got in all five of his visits. He went to the University of Southern California on a visit last month and then to Alabama, and I think that's why it took him so long to make his decision."

"It meant a lot to me to sign with Alabama," said Kouandjio, a Beltsville resident. "I was really impressed with the coach (Nick Saban) and the campus and just the atmosphere around the team. But before I decided, I wanted to go on all of my visits. I enjoyed meeting the coaches at USC, but I really felt Alabama was the best fit for me. Now I have a lot of work to do to earn a starting spot on the team. But that's my goal, to be a starter all four years at tackle."

Other DeMatha football players who signed on Wednesday included Austin Bailey (Akron), Marcus Coker (Iowa), Michael Coley (California-Berkley), Alex Copeland (Carnegie Mellon), Jacob Geiser (Delaware), Patrick Harbeson (Virginia), Shane Johnson and Jeff Knox (Pittsburgh), Kryell Latimer (Virginia), Daniel Tapscott (Gannon) and Lorenzo Waters (Rutgers). Copeland declined offers from Harvard and Princeton to attend Carnegie Mellon, while Harbeson is attending Virginia on a lacrosse scholarship.

Brian Alvarez (Dayton), Bernard Fatusin (UNC-Wesleyan), William Gbelee (Wright State), Oseghae Tobi Iguade and Joe Sullivan (St. Francis), Jasim Mobaidin (Stevens Institute of Technology), James Rice (Gettysburg) and Pierre Zibi (St. Mary's) all signed soccer scholarships on Wednesday. Puffett, one of the state's top cross country runners, signed with the University of Maryland.

Elsewhere around the county

Henry A. Wise seniors Titus Till and Rahsaan Moore have signed with the University of Maryland. Teammate Anthony McDaniel, the Gazette-Star Defensive Player of the Year in 2009, signed with James Madison University.

Suitland's Jeremiah Johnson signed with the University of Maryland, and teammates Devonte Lindsey (Morgan State) and Jason Johnson (West Virginia Wesleyan) also finalized their college plans.

Friendly's Jordan Haden, who missed most of his senior season with a broken ankle, graduated from high school at the end of the first semester and has already enrolled at the University of Florida, where he'll follow in the footsteps of his older brother Joe Haden. The elder Haden also starred at Friendly and played three seasons for the Gators before electing to enter this year's NFL Draft. Friendly senior Joseph Boyd is headed to Delaware State.

Gwynn Park running back Khalek Shepherd signed with the University of Virginia.

Bishop McNamara wide receiver Brandon Coleman signed at Rutgers University.

Potomac's Devonta Tabannah is headed to the University of New Mexico, while teammate Terrell McGowan will play at Towson University and Sharmarte Banks is headed to Stevenson.

Bladensburg seniors Douglas Williams and William Askew also are headed for Stevenson. Joshua Gibbs, Paul Momoh and Yamoussa Cisse of Bladensburg will play at Frostburg State. Wison Cobbs is headed to Albright. Bladensburg coach Derek Tyler said track standout Seven Ehahoun also will go to Albright to play football if he doesn't end up with a track scholarship elsewhere.