It's been eight months since Deerfield Beach lost to Northwestern, 19-14, in the Class 6A South region final at the Orange Bowl. For much of the past 180 days, that setback to the eventual national champions is something that has driven the Bucks.

While time heals all wounds, this one is taking a little bit longer to digest, and for head coach Art Taylor and senior quarterback Denard Robinson, that feeling on the bus back to Deerfield Beach was something that they don't wants to relive.

''People tell me to get over it and move on,'' said Robinson. ``But if I do that, I will lose focus on what we have to accomplish this year.''

Robinson has emerged as one of the team leaders. The 6-0, 190-pounder is being pursued by every college from Florida, Georgia, UCF to Miami. He was easily one of the top players in South Florida last year, and with maturity and a 40 time (4.35) that borders on very impressive, he will be the person to make this team go.

''Denard has worked extremely hard to get better,'' Taylor said. ``But he also knows that we have given him enough talent to make his job easier.''

One of the players the Bucks will have to wait on is talented senior receiver/safety Adrian Witty. After being lost early in the Northwestern game with a knee injury, the off season has been spent in rehabilitation after a total ACL repair was performed on the 5-11, 175-pound speedster, who also ran in the 4.3 range.

Whitty is expected to come back in late September, although Taylor will not rush his comeback. The injury has opened the door for other players to step up and add much needed depth.

''It has been frustrating,'' Witty said. ``After losing the way we did to Northwestern, it's tough to sit there at practice and not have the chance to get back in there and start playing.''

Witty's bond with his teammates has gotten stronger during his injury. He, Robinson and junior running back Cassius McDowell (5-10, 175) have played together since carrying the Deerfield Beach Packer Rattlers 100-pound team to a perfect 17-0 record in 2002. Witty is at every practice, helping out his teammates like senior defensive end Johnny Seays, an explosive football player who is 6-1, 245 and is projected to play outside linebacker at the next level.

''Johnny is emerging as our leader up front on defense,'' said Taylor. ``This is a young man who has gotten stronger and is dominating up front. He has worked extremely hard and needs to bring the intensity in every game.''

Other seniors expected to make an impact includes cornerback Elliott Aiken (5-10, 175), defensive end Greg Beauduy(6-2, 210), receiver Travis McDonald (6-1, 175), tight end Miguel Devonish (6-0, 175), running back Brian Powell (5-8, 175), and offensive linemen Dewey Amos (6-4, 275), Allen Wallace (6-2, 310), Raymond Newton (6-1, 235) and Ralph Roberson, a 5-9, 270-pounder.

''We didn't have a real deep line last year, but the players up front have worked extremely hard to get ready for 2008,'' Taylor said. ``We are also looking for some big things out of Travis [McDonald] to give us some big plays.''

While the senior class will provide leadership, the juniors will be explosive with one of the best athletes in the county, Donte Dotson (5-9, 170), a running back, receiver, cornerback, backup quarterback and return specialist, already making a major impact. In the spring classic win over Palm Bay, Dotson returned a kick for a touchdown and turned heads on both sides of the field.

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