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FRANKLIN - What will it take for the Tri-County Regional High Cougars to win the MIAA Division 4 Super Bowl?

A near perfect game.

That is because their opponent for the 9 a.m. kickoff Saturday at Gillette Stadium for the Division 4 crown is unbeaten (12-0) Manchester-Essex.

The Commonwealth Conference's Small School Division champions are averaging 37.5 points per game, beat previously-unbeaten O'Bryant in the other MIAA Division 4 playoff game (29-21) and are generally considered to be skillful, strong physically and resourceful.

"They are a great football team," said Tri-County coach Dan MacLean. "They're fast and they're disciplined - they'll be the best team that we've faced." But mind you, Manchester-Essex intercepted a pair of O'Bryant passes, while the latter also had a touchdown nullified by a penalty to prevail in the playoffs.

"They do a lot of good things," added MacLean, reviewing game film with the Cougars after practice Thursday. "I love our defense, but the key is that we have to keep the ball in our hands and out of their hands."

The Cougars (9-2) have won eight straight games and scored 166 points in doing so.

But to put the Cougars in a position to score points, in advantageous field position, Tri-County will have to run the ball and take time off the clock. "We need a few of those five minute drives (exactly 5:03, a 69-yard march which resulted in the Cougars taking a 13-12 lead) like we did in the second half the other night," added MacLean.

"We have to put pressure on them, we have to be able to grind it out."

To that end, the Cougars will have to take some pressure off of quarterback and 2000-yard run-pass producer Lucas Mistler, the left-hander from Norfolk. The Hornets will, undoubtedly, be keying on his every move.

"We're going to have to execute, to play disciplined football and not turn the ball over," added MacLean. "And we can't have those penalties (eight overall, five assessed for false starts or delay of game) as we did."

Tri-County defensive coordinator Chris Baker will have to concoct schemes to put pressure on Hornet quarterback Pat Orlando (14 TD passes), to cover 6-foot-2 wide receiver Doug Kennerson, to slow down speedy wide receiver Ben Kekeisen (14 TD's), to get a handle on 6-foot-4 running back Brian Ciccone (16 TD's).

"We have so many different defensive looks," said Cougar senior safety Mike Foster of North Attleboro, who returned an intercepted pass 88 yards for Tri-County's game-winning touchdown midway through the fourth quarter against Pope John. "The coaches look at the game film and every time that we prepare for a team, they find two or three defenses that will be good to use. And each week we just add onto what we've learned."

The Cougars have 200-pound junior Ryan Sheehan, 6-foot-7, 315-pound senior Chris Perkins and 205-pound senior Chris Dupre on the interior of the defensive line. While on the outside, 190-pound junior Chad Todesco and 180-pound junior Matt Hogan have been able to come with speed and skill. "As a team we're really aggressive," added Foster, "plus the coaches have picked the right people to play in the right positions. We have a lot of speed too and we try to play smart."

More importantly, the Cougars can ill-afford to have the stuttered start offensively during the first half as they did against Pope John in winning the Division 4 semifinal round game Tuesday in Taunton. The Cougars started series at their own 23 (but a 32-yard gain on a pass from Lucas Mistler to Jarred Gaumond was wiped out by a pass interference penalty); 30 (losing possession via a fumble three plays into the series) and 20 (losing possession via a fumble four plays into the series) before starting their comeback with a touchdown with just over two minutes left until intermission.

"We had some jitters, we were sloppy," said MacLean of his Cougars' semifinal round game. "We have to move the ball, we have to control the clock. We have to keep the ball away from them, we can do it."

En route to winning a dozen games, only two other teams (other than O'Bryant) have been able to keep pace with Manchester-Essex - a 16-point win over Greater Lowell and a 14-point win over Lynnfield.

The Hornets can surrender points quickly too, as Lynnfield, Georgetown and O'Bryant - their last three foes - have all scored 21 points.

Foster has been sitting in the stands at Gillette Stadium, watching the Patriots play an NFL game and never envisioned that one day he might be able to set foot on the same field with the pros. "To think that I'll be on the same field as the Patriots, as the other pros, it'll be exciting. It'll be a dream come true."