Kent Island's season almost ended before it began. Back on August 20, around 15 players and three coaches collapsed during a late-afternoon two-a-day practice. A dozen of them had to be taken to local hospitals, where they were treated for heat-related illnesses (the official cause has not yet been determined).

It took almost two weeks before the players returned to practice. That left Kent Island with about 16 able-bodied personnel to prepare for the September 4 season opener against J.M Bennett. Needless to say, the Buccaneers were in a rather precarious position.

"After that incident in August we could have really thrown the towel in," said Kent Island coach Byron Sofinowski. "But we came together. We used that [incident] as a building block, and that speaks volumes about our guys. Our team showed a lot of character to come back from that."

They came back with vengeance. The Bucs, looking anything bug sluggish, thrashed Bennett 34-0 in the opener. Then they demolished Parkside, a supposed playoff contender, 49-0, in Week 2. Four weeks later, Kent Island is 7-0 and leading the MPSSAA 2A East region standings with nine points. So much for "heat exhaustion."

Surprised? Don't be. This team has had back-to-back 7-3 seasons; they tied for a conference title two years ago and made the playoffs last season.

"I just think people forget about us," Sofinowski said. "I don't think it's a surprise at all."

Kent Island isn't just winning games on fourth quarter fluke plays. They've put a first-class beat down on the teams they should beat (Bennett, Parkside, Easton, Colonel Richardson) and handled the games against tougher foes (C. Milton Wright, Cambridge, Stephen Decatur). The Bucs' offense is averaging 37 points per game and their defense is giving up just six.

Now, they've got their sights set on a conference title and a showdown with perennial Bayside power Queen Anne's, which is also 7-0. The Lions went 10-0 last year and won a regional title, defeating Kent Island 33-10 in the process. In fact, Kent Island hasn't beaten Queen Anne's since 2003. This year could be different.

"Queen Anne's is an outstanding football team and they have a lot of tradition," said Sofinowski, who played for a Queen Anne's playoff team back in 1984. "I'm not going to predict anything, but we can play with anybody we face. We're not going to back down."

The coach's confidence stems from his team's defense. Captain Joey Buckley, the Bucs' leading tackler, anchors a unit that has seven returning starters.

The Bucs run a basic 4-3 set with four down linemen and three linebackers. But there's nothing "basic" about the way they play. The Bucs bring pressure. Constantly.

Just ask Cambridge quarterback Taylor Henry, the best signal caller in the Bayside. Kent Island brought five or six blitzers on every down in the Week 4 matchup between two 3-0 teams. They sacked Henry three times and hit him on numerous occasions. By game's end, the Bucs held Taylor and Co. to just 180 yards of total offense and came away with a 26-7 victory.

"For a team that lives and dies with the pass we shut them down pretty good," Sofinowski said. "I think they were surprised; they weren't prepared for us. "

The very next week Kent Island held Stephen Decatur's dynamic offense to just six points in a 25-6 victory. Decatur runs a wide-open spread offense led by quarterback Tyler Hartrim and elite running back Delonte Tate. The Seahawks scored first to take a 6-0 lead, but the Bucs answered with a touchdown on the next series and never looked back. Tate, considered to be one of the best 'backs in the conference, never got started.

"We locked down Tate and we shut down their quarterback," Sofinowski said. "It felt really good to beat Decatur. It's only the second time we ever beat them."

The Bucs' bullying defense starts with the line. Defensive ends Matt Anderson and Derrick Rasinski and interior linemen Jason Proctor and Vince Carchedi control the line of scrimmage and routinely collapse the pocket. That leaves linebackers Buckley, Kyle Thomas and Chad Curtice free to shoot through gaps or fill holes in run defense.

Kent Island can afford to gamble with extra pass rushers because their secondary is good enough in one-on-one coverage. Cornerback-running back Joey Kirby is a primetime playmaker and a shutdown defender. The Baxter twins, Matt and Luke, and veteran safety Glenn Watkins round out the formidable back four.

"We have a real stout defense," Sofinowski said. "They're only giving up six points per game, so they're playing pretty well."

The offense is playing pretty well, too. Kent Island's double-wing, spread set boasts an array of threats, headlined by Kirby. The senior captain had 833 yards through six games and is averaging about 10 yards per carry. He also had close to 400 yards receiving. Last week against Easton Kirby only had 12 carries, but he still rushed for 315 yards and four touchdowns.

"He's phenomenal," Sofinowski said. "He can do everything and has done everything for us."

Kirby isn't the only weapon. Senior quarterback Ben Schaffle, a returning starter, has done a phenomenal job leading the offense, according to Sofinowski. Schaffle's top targets are the Baxter twins and the speed demon Watkins, who runs a 4.5 40-yard dash. Add in a veteran offensive line led by left tackle Nick Narvesen and center Casey O'Brien, and Kent Island has been trouble for opposing defenses.

"[Opponents] thought if they could focus on Kirby they could shut us down," Sofinowski said. "But now we have multiple threats; we can run or pass. Defenses truly don't know where the ball is going to go."

Witness last week's game against Easton, a 60-10 demolition. Kirby had four touchdowns, Luke Baxter had a rushing touchdown and two receiving touchdowns and reserve Robert Trimpert even rushed for a score.

On paper, the Easton game was Kent Island's most dominating all-around performance. But Sofinowski warns his team is still improving. Amid the onslaught, the Bucs committed 10 penalties and turned the ball over twice. In fact, mistakes - penalties, turnovers, missed tackles - have marred Kent Island's perfect season. If they aren't corrected, expect teams like North Caroline and Queen Anne's to take advantage.

"We've got to do a better job tackling, we have to do a better job with turnovers and we have to do better with penalties," Sofinowski said. "We have to stay focused on what we do best, which is play sound football."

The Buccaneers should be fine. They've already shown tremendous resiliency coming back from freak illness to go 7-0. But now comes the true test. The second half schedule features two playoff contenders in North Caroline and Queen Anne's. Will the Bucs survive? Sofinowski won't make bold predictions, but make no mistake - he believes in his team.

"This is the best football team I've ever coached," Sofinowski said. "Period."