2014 Tiffin Preview (by Tony Nicolette, GLIAC contributor)

Youth will be served when it comes to the 2014 Tiffin squad.  Nine starters return on offense and two-thirds of that group have multiple years of eligibility remaining beyond 2014.  As coach Gary Goff and his staff look to improve on last season’s 2-9 result, the idea that his offense is both young and experienced at the same time can be a good sign.

Moving the ball looks like it will revolve around a pair of sophomores this year.  QB Antonio Pipken and RB Jerry Brown were the team’s leading rushers a year ago, but Pipken is likely the key as the Dragon passing attack proved more effective than the ground game over the course of 2013.  Pipken completed 66.5 percent of his passes, and was balanced in his distribution as four different receivers each had at least 45 receptions.  None of those four pass-catchers totaled less than 593 yards for the year, and two of those key pieces are back in Marcus Beaurem and Tony Shead.

While the future of the offense looks bright, the Dragon defense will have some work to do.  At least seven starters need to be replaced from last year’s group that was in the bottom half of the league in both scoring and total defense.  Leading the charge into 2014 will be junior LB Terry Harper, who was second on the team a year ago in both tackles and tackles-for-loss.

It will be week three before Tiffin is able play at home this season, as they open with trips to Walsh and Saginaw Valley.  That week three home opener will be a good one, however, as they’ll take on their nearest geographic rival, Findlay.  The Dragons will be at home for three of their final four contests, with visits from Hillsdale and Ohio Dominican included in that stretch.