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FOXBORO - All year, the Mansfield defense had been the team's biggest strength.

When the offense was struggling, the defense could be counted on to keep the game low-scoring. When the offense was clicking the defense guaranteed the other team wouldn't stand a chance.

But during Saturday's EMass Division 2 Super Bowl against Walpole High School at Gillette Stadium, the powerful Hornet defense came to the fight stinger-less, as the high-powered Rebel offense went over, around, and through the Mansfield defense all day en route to a 41-21 rout.

Leading the way for Walpole was all-everything junior running back Ryan Izzo, who totaled 193 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries.

"We played hard today but Walpole has a hell of a team," Mansfield senior captain Dan Glavin said. "Ryan Izzo ... I hope that he breaks the all-time state record, he's a hell of a running back." Izzo did much of his damage receiving direct snaps in a shotgun spread formation. The Hornets knew what was coming when the junior lined up behind center, but the combination of Izzo's elusiveness and his offensive line's run-blocking prowess kept the Mansfield defense from making a difference.

"We practiced (against) it," Glavin said of the direct snaps to Izzo, "but we didn't have that running back to play him in scout team. He made quick cuts, great vision of the field. Up front they won the battle of the offensive line."

"We practiced it yesterday but we just had the day to get ready," said Mansfield coach Mike Redding, whose team played its semi-final game on Wednesday because of an injunction on an MIAA ruling that originally ruled Mansfield ineligible for the playoffs. "We knew he was going to carry the ball with a lot of lead blockers. He's good but they block well up front, we had a hard time getting off blocks and we're pretty athletic and tough and we just couldn't get off people to get to him."

The Walpole offensive line made Izzo look even better than he is, an impressive feat in itself. Walpole totaled 366 total yards of offense against a Mansfield defense that hadn't allowed more than two touchdowns all year.

"They did a little more spread than we though, we thought they would do a little more I (formation)," quarterback and defensive back Jeff Mallet said. "I was surprised how good their lines were. They have the best line I've seen this year."

The Rebels came out throwing to start the game, catching the Mansfield defense off guard. On the third play of the opening series Waplole quarterback Sonny Mastromatteo dropped back and found Chris Cameron in a seam up the right hash mark. Cameron caught the deep pass in stride and cruised into the end zone for a 63-yard touchdown just 1:06 into the game.

"We should have went to our nickel a little bit earlier," Redding said. "We just expected a little more Izzo early. They did some good things offensively."

Mansfield answered with a methodical drive on the ensuing possession, a 12-play, 80-yard drive that ate up 5:55 off the clock, capped by a three-yard run by Greg DiPietrantonio. The senior captain led the Mansfield offense with 122 yards rushing on 11 attempts.

Both teams traded punts on their next possessions and it seemed that the sizeable crowd at Gillette would be treated to a close game. But the second quarter would spell the end for the Hornets.

Izzo started Mansfield's nightmare quarter with a nine-yard touchdown run on a direct snap with 6:59 left in the half, putting the Rebels up 14-7. After a three-and-out by Mansfield, the Rebels scored again, and again it was all Izzo. The junior ran for 13 yards on three carries to bring up second and seven from the Mansfield thirty. The Rebels then broke out a trick-play, as Mastromatteo hit Leo Ajemian with a bullet near the left sideline, who then tossed a lateral to a streaking Izzo speeding down the left sideline. The junior scampered untouched into the end zone to give Walpole a 20-7 lead. "They brought their A-game," Redding said. "We've played better offensively than we did today but I think even if we played our best game they'd be tough to beat. They're very worthy of being Super Bowl champs."

The Mansfield offense again stalled, punting away only to watch Izzo torch the defense again, as the back broke a run to the left side for a 51-yard touchdown with 1:21 left to give the Rebels a 27-7 lead.

The Hornet offensive struggles continued as Mansfield fumbled on the next offensive play, setting up Walpole's fourth touchdown of the quarter, a one-yard sneak by Mastromatteo with 27 seconds left to put the game out of reach.

"It seemed like we had to work hard to get first downs," Redding said. "We just couldn't get their offense off the field. They're well-coached and very talented."

The Hornets had a glimmer of hope when Kevon Rodgers ran in from 15 yards on a double-handoff counter with 2:21 remaining in the third quarter. But a heaping helping of Izzo ate up clock and the Hornets' hopes on the next drive, as Walpole drove 65 yards in 5:59, eight of the plays runs by Izzo before Mastromatteo hit T.J. Kelliher on a play-action pass to put the game away.

Mansfield quarterback Jeff Mallett found Shawn Doherty for a 24-yard touchdown pass with 4:29 left, but it was too little too late for the Hornets, who lost in their first Super Bowl appearance since they defeated Walpole in the 2004 Super Bowl.

"We had a great season," Redding said. "Just to get here is a great accomplishment. You'd love to win it but I think Walpole has been knocking on the door a while, they're deserving of the Super Bowl, they really put it together this year."