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Kevin Eis column: Tinora tackles one goal at a time

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The wind and rain which swept across the field on Friday night didn't dampen the spirits of the Tinora Rams as they listened to head coach Kenny Krouse in the postgame huddle.

After clinching an outright Green Meadows Conference title with a 42-0 shutout over previously-undefeated Hicksville, the Rams - especially the 14 seniors wearing the green-and-white - left absolutely no more unanswered questions as to who deserved to wear the crown.

And judging from the handshakes, smiles and overall jubilation, which easily overshadowed the weather conditions, it was also clear that this leg of the seniors' "Now or Never" season saw them living in the now.

At least before getting back to work for week 11, that is ... which was another mission accomplished.

"I couldn't be prouder," Krouse told his players following their third GMC title in four years. "You don't know how hard that is to do what you did this season and get another title, three out of four. Put the numbers up on the board and the picture up on the wall. Let's go ahead and everybody savor this win tonight."

It was easy to tell the way Tinora systematically picked apart each and every league opponent with its arsenal of offensive and defensive weapons that these guys meant business. Whether it was the misdirection of junior quarterback Landon Drewes (which, I admit, has even fooled me at times), Blake Foor's power, Lyndon Benecke's agility, Blake Reiman's speed or the entire offensive and defensive lines' dominance, nobody in the GMC seemed to have an answer or even know what was coming next.

For the senior roster consisting of Foor, Benecke, Reiman, Phil Stokey, Curtis Hansford, Ethan McKenney, Garrett Schafer, Damon Willett, Lucas Schroeder, Chad Zolman, Josh Little, Alex Purnell, Britt Gerken and Ryan Timmons, there was a score to be settled after falling short of a GMC title and a playoff berth a year ago.

"We really challenged (our seniors), and they responded," lauded Krouse. "We said 'hey, you're in the playoffs and we want a little more.' This group is hungry, they're motivated and I couldn't be prouder of them. They've just done a tremendous job leading this football team."

It has been a common sight from my seat in the press box to see Stokey, a two-year letterman, getting the team fired up before charging onto the field. And once on the field, his play has consistently spoken for itself.

"It's a dream come true," he said. "We waited all our lives to accomplish this goal in our senior year with a GMC championship, and it was amazing that we were able to come out and play an amazingly good Hicksville team. We sent a message, I think."

And what a message.

Three out of Tinora's seven conference wins were shutouts by at least 38 points.

"It was just amazing because we worked so hard at it, we just came out on top," commented Willett, who contributed to the win over the Aces with a spectacular touchdown catch. "We're just trying to send a message from the league to the rest of Ohio. It's given us a lot of confidence going into the next game."

An offensive guard/defensive tackle, Zolman also added to the underlying hope that the confidence and momentum gained from such a telling season will pay dividends as the Rams prepare for the opening round of playoff competition.

"It's just amazing that we could come out here and shut (Hicksville) out and do what needed to be done right away," he noted. "We proved a point to everyone else that we are a really good football team. At the beginning of the season, we knew we had to work really hard and try to get to where we wanted."

With the win over the Aces, Tinora capped off the regular season with a 310-55 scoring margin over its GMC counterparts, a scoring gap that speaks volumes of the offensive and defensive efforts week in and week out.

As another key contributor to the Rams' successful regular season, Little pointed out the bond among the senior group which has been the culmination of years spent working toward their current goals of success.

"We just all feed off of each other and we all work hard together," said the Tinora offensive and defensive tackle. "We have been since fifth and sixth grade and junior high. We just love each other and keep going. This is great beating a 9-0 team and going into the playoffs."

And sure, the Rams will celebrate for now. However, momentum aside, they are fully aware that laurels do not count when it comes to the next phase of the game and that anything can happen on any given night. They have been well-coached and it shows in the heart and composure they have unwaveringly displayed over the years.

With that in mind, here's wishing them the best of luck, as well as all the area teams which are now gearing up for the playoffs.

Furthermore, here's hoping the best is yet to come.