Over the course of the spring and the summer months, one Tiffin Athletics program will be highlighted every Saturday on their accomplishments during the past year. This week's Saturday Spotlight focuses on the football program.
Tiffin came into the year riding high off of one of their best seasons in program history in 2018, finishing in the tie for second place with a 6-2 record in GMAC play. The Dragons went 9-2 overall, including a nine-game win streak to open the season that was the longest since the 2006 squad opened with 10-straight victories.
Despite that success, before the 2019 season began, led by first-year head coach Cris Reisert, the Dragons were selected fourth by the GMAC coaches in the preseason poll.
Tiffin opened the season with a gritty 22-19 win at Northwood, after which quarterback Nick Watson was named the GMAC Offensive Player of the Week. The Dragons stumbled the following week at Saginaw Valley, however, falling 35-20.
TU bounced back in a huge way in Week Three, thoroughly dominating Walsh 52-0 to open GMAC play. It was the fourth-largest margin of victory in TU history, and highest since 2015 when the Dragons beat Concordia-Selma 68-13. Also, JaQuan Hardy set a program record with a 94-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter that set the pace for the rout.
Ohio Dominican was the next victim, as Tiffin pulled out a 41-31 homecoming win over the Panthers in Week Four. Hardy had another fantastic game, rushing for 220 yards and a touchdown to earn GMAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Tiffin then flexed their muscle in a big way over the next three games, outscoring opponents 159-19. First was a 55-6 rout of nonconference foe Saint Anselm, followed by a 59-6 road demolishing of Kentucky Wesleyan, and finishing with a dominating 45-7 win over Alderson Broaddus at home. Following the Saint Anselm win in Week Five, Watson received his second GMAC Offensive Player of the Week award of the season.
In Week Eight, Tiffin overcame poor weather conditions to run away from Lake Erie on the road 63-35. Hardy picked up his second GMAC Offensive Player of the Week honor after a three-TD performance.
After two weeks of receiving votes in the AFCA Top-25, the Dragons finally broke into the rankings after Week Nine despite enjoying a bye week, entering at No. 25 in the nation.
Tiffin faced a big test in Week 10, tangling with a Hillsdale squad that handed the Dragons one of just two losses in 2018. TU came through, winning their seventh-straight contest with a strong defensive stand late in the game, 35-24. Following the big victory, the Dragons climbed to 21st in the AFCA poll.
The tests were far from done, however, as Tiffin then had to face longtime rival Findlay to decide the conference championship. A huge run between the second and third quarters proved to be enough as the Dragons held on late for a 52-45 victory, their first over the Oilers since 1993.
Following their GMAC title, the Dragons prepared for their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Hardy (Offensive) and AJ Nickoli (Special Teams) also earned GMAC Player of the Week honors, and Tiffin rose to 19th in the country.
The GMAC also released the All-Conference teams, which TU thoroughly dominated with 22 honorees. All 11 offensive starters made All-GMAC, with JaQuan Hardy earning Player of the Year honors, Nick Watson earning Offensive Player of the Year honors, Stanley Jackson Jr. earning Offensive Back of the Year honors, Charlie Cleveland earning Defensive Lineman of the Year honors, and Cris Reisert taking Coach of the Year honors.
Tiffin would come up short in the playoff appearance, dropping a thrilling, back-and-forth 33-31 contest on the road at Kutztown.
There were still plenty of honors to be had, however, with four Dragons earning D2CCA All-Region honors and eight named to the Don Hansen All-Region squads. JaQuan Hardy then made Tiffin history, becoming the first Dragon to earn four All-American honors with nods from the AFCA, D2CCA, D2Football.com, and Don Hansen Football Gazette. Stanley Jackson Jr. also earned Don Hansen honors after his fantastic season receiving.
Tiffin also earned a pair of academic honors following the season, with Gavin Woods being named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team and Daigien Morgan earning NFF Hampshire Honor Society honors.