DEFIANCE Persistent poise perfectly describes how the Tinora Rams are poised to make school history.

Depth and experience have translated into clutch performances during Tinora s unprecedented run to the Division III boys basketball state semifinals. The Rams have five senior starters and nine players that all contribute. The seasoned team has survived several tight fourth-quarter finishes in district and regional play.

As a result, Tinora (22-3) is the first boys team from the Defiance area to reach the state tournament in 47 years. The Rams face Dayton Christian (22-4) at 8:30 p.m. tonight at Value City Arena in Columbus.

Tinora coach Rob Mahnke said his seven seniors, most of whom have played three years on the varsity, have been the key to handling hardships.

The team I have is senior dominated, Mahnke said. Going into the regional final I was a little worried about butterflies. But they were acting like themselves in the locker room. Now the state tournament is a huge stage. But this team handles adversity and pressure very well.

The Rams do not have a player averaging double figures in scoring, but nine consistently show up in the box score. Depth also has enabled the defense to hold opponents to just 38.4 points per game.

All nine kids contribute very heavily, Mahnke said. That has been the strength of our team all year long. We have nine guys that can all be a huge influence in the game.

While making its first appearance in the regional final since 1980, Tinora trailed a surging Coldwater (18-7) team for nearly the entire contest but rallied with a late 9-4 run.

In the district final and regional semifinal, Tinora made free throws in the final seconds to win. Senior Zach Beilharz made one with two seconds left to beat Ottawa Hills 31-30.

Everyone is ready to make a play, Mahnke said. They all have confidence in each other that they can come back.

Senior Jon Gerken made a foul shot with two seconds left to beat Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy 36-34 in OT as the Rams overcame a 21-6 second-quarter deficit.

It s nice to always know you have teammates to rotate in to help, Gerken said.

Junior Treg Lymanstall came off the bench and scored a team-high 15 points in the win over Coldwater. He was 5 of 5 from the field, including 3 of 3 from beyond the arc.

Luckily I have good teammates that found me so I could catch a rhythm, Lymanstall said.

Dayton Christian, which also starts five seniors, has made just one appearance in the state semifinals (1997).

Tinora is extremely deep, Dayton Christian coach Chip James said. Their bench players make a major impact and are as confident as their starters. They go maybe 10 deep. We don t want to have our hands on our knees at the end because Tinora s kids won t. Their kids look like they like to play together.

Jon Gerken, a 6-foot-6 center, averages 8.3 points per game and leads the team in rebounding (8.7).

It hasn t even hit me, Gerken said. It s not going to until we get down there and walk in and look around and know you are playing in the Schott [Schottenstein Center].

He s very versatile as well, Mahnke said. He s a good ball handler and one of our better passers. He s also one of our best defenders.

Senior J.R. Wuo, a 6-3 forward, leads the team in scoring (9.8 points) and is a captain.

He can guard the perimeter and post, Mahnke said. He s our fastest player.

Another senior, three-year starter is Taylor Wiemken (6.0 points). The small forward is the Rams smartest player, according to Mahnke.

He understands what we re trying to accomplish, Mahnke said.

Shooting guard Trey Meyer, another senior, is the team s most consistent player.

He s also a good 3-point shooter and is one of our quickest defenders, Mahnke said.

He said senior guard Zach Beilharz is tall (6-2), strong and sees the floor very well.

He s excellent defensively and he has made huge plays taking the ball to the hoop, Mahnke said.

The first Ram off the bench is usually Lymanstall (5.0 points).

He has a lot of speed, Mahnke said. He works so hard. He makes up for lack of size (5-9) with good 3-point shooting.

John Garmyn, a 6-3 junior center, also has had some big moments in important games. Senior Gregg Gerken, 6-4, gets many steals and deflections. Sophomore Landon Drewes, who is the quarterback on the football team, is averaging 6.0 points per game and handles the ball well.

As a coach you dream about being able to coach a team with this kind of talent, Mahnke said.

Mahnke said the key against Dayton Christian will be to handle its defensive pressure and prolific guards. The Rams will have to deal with senior Aaron Deister, who is the school s second all-time leading scorer. He leads the team with a 13.7 scoring average.

But the Dayton Christian coach said he is particularly concerned about the Rams defense.

They take defense personally and that s what all good teams do, James said. They hold teams to 38 points a game. I don t think I slept for a minute last night thinking about an opponent that holds teams under 40 points.

The last Defiance team to make the final four was Ayersville, which won the Class A title in both 1957 and 1961, and then lost in the semifinals in 1962.

This is the first team our school has had in the state tournament, Mahnke said. I ll look for our community to be down there supporting us. Hopefully we can make this region and our community proud.

First Published March 26, 2009, 11:10 a.m.