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FOXBORO - They delivered, as promised - and there wasn't much that the Tri-County Regional High Cougars could do about it.

Unbeaten Manchester-Essex High scored touchdowns on its first three possessions, intercepted three Cougar passes, while limiting Tri-County to merely 13 second-half plays - and no advancement of the football beyond its own 33-yard line - in securing a 36-6 triumph in the MIAA Division 4 Super Bowl championship game Saturday at Gillette Stadium.

Tri-County High senior quarterback Lucas Mistler of Norfolk combined on a 45-yard scoring strike to senior wide receiver Jarred Gaumond of North Attleboro with seven seconds left in the first quarter, but the Cougars never moved or were allowed near the Manchester-Essex end zone ever again.

"We thought that we could go with them, but we made some mistakes early," said Tri-County coach Dan MacLean, whose Cougars faced a 29-6 deficit by intermission. "We knew he (Hornet QB Pat Orlando, nine completions for 173 yards) could pass, we were hoping to contain him."

Orlando led Manchester-Essex on scoring drives of 59 yards (on nine plays), 54 yards (on two plays) and 62 yards (on seven plays) on the Hornets' initial three offensive sets of the title game. Then he took the Hornets 78 yards on nine plays for another six points with 31 seconds left until intermission. That was bad enough, but Mistler and the Cougars had possession of the ball for just 6:43 during the first half.

"We didn't play our game, we weren't executing," said Gaumond, who caught three passes for 69 yards.

And two of Tri-County's first three series of the second half ended in misfortune - Orlando intercepted a Mistler pass two plays in the Cougars' first set at the Tri-County 49, then Seth Young picked off another pass five plays into the Cougars' third set at the Manchester-Essex 48.

"We tried, we tried to play Tri-County football, but we couldn't hold them off," said Tri-County senior lineman Lucas Perkins.

The Cougars, who have made it a habit of neutralizing foes with its defense and playing superbly during the second halves of games (in winning eight straight), were unable to contain Orlando, force Hornet turnovers (none) or slow down the Manchester-Essex running game - eight runners producing 253 yards on the ground.

Orlando twice completed third down passes of 15 and 12 yards to tight end Jim Finn for first downs on M-E's first offensive series, capped when Ben Kekeisen barged into Orlando on the handoff, rolled and found his way into the end zone from 12 yards out.

Two plays into M-E's next series (after Tri-County was stopped on a fourth down and inches play at the Hornets' 47), Orlando threw the ball in the direction of Doug Kenerson, who bobbled the ball, then caught it on the ricochet off of a Cougar defender - a 37-yard touchdown.

Facing a third down and seven-yard situation on M-E's next series, Orlando completed a nine-yard pass to Kekeisen, advancing the ball to the Cougar 23-yard line. Two plays later, Orlando and Kenerson combined again for a touchdown, a 16-yarder.

"Their outside stuff got us," said Tri-County defensive end Mitch Dupre of all of the Hornets' misdirection plays and motion.

The Cougars crossed midfield on two of their first three series, scoring their lone touchdown when Mistler completed consecutive passes - a 19-yard toss to Chad Todesco, advancing the ball to the M-E 45, then Gaumond snaring his toss against single coverage on the left sideline. And notably too, 11 of Tri-County 19 rushes were for gains of three yards or less - the Hornets' four-man defensive front being quick and efficient.

"We couldn't get our offense going, we couldn't get a flow going, we stalled," added MacLean. "They are a very good football team, but we couldn't get back into it. We battled, we tried - it just didn't work."

The Cougars had second-half drives starting at their own 18, 29, 14 and 15 yard lines, but Mistler was able to complete just one pass, while rush for 31 yards.

"We made too many mistakes," continued MacLean. "Against a team like that, you can't make mistakes. Win or lose, I'm still proud of the kids. I can't say enough about Tri-County."

And midway through the third quarter, M-E 6-foot-4 junior fullback Brian Ciccone grabbed a 44-yard pass - against double coverage - from Orlando, taking the ball to the Tri-County one-yard line, where a play later he scored the Hornets' fifth touchdown.

"We were prepared, we tried like heck, but every time that we tried something, it blew up in our face," said MacLean.