Tigers Drop To 1A, Will Face New Opponents

Tipton senior Dalton Clark will be Tipton's lead running back this fall.  Conservative File Photo.

By Ryan Stonebraker

Sports Editor

TIPTON — The Tipton Tigers will play in a new class and play new opponents this season.  The past two seasons the Tigers have played the likes of state ranked teams Mt. Vernon and Anamosa as well as Monticello, Cascade and Camanche.  This season the Tigers will play in class 1A, district 3.  Teams in district three are Bellevue, Clayton Ridge, Durant, Jesup, Maquoketa Valley, North Cedar and West Branch.  The Tigers finished the 2015 season 7-3 and qualified for the playoffs.  Tipton lost 35-21 at Williamsburg in the first round.  Tipton played well most of the season, winning two of their first three games and going on a season best four-game win streak after a tough loss to state ranked Anamosa in their third game of the season.  Wins over North Cedar, NE Goose Lake, Camanche and Monticello sealed a playoff bid.  The Tigers had a chance to move up in playoff position by beating state ranked Mt. Vernon in the regular season finale, but fell 44-7 to the eventual class 2A state runner-up.  The Mustangs played well at the end of the 2015 season.

The Tigers lost a lot of offensive and defensive production and had a large senior class graduate.

On offense, Tipton will have a new quarterback after senior Adam Hermsen graduated after throwing for 1,031 yards and 8 touchdowns and rushing for 423 yards and 7 touchdowns.  Also gone is Tipton single season, most touchdowns in a season, rusher Koby Johnston.  Johnston rushed for 1,549 yards and 24 touchdowns with a 6.2-yard average.

The Tigers quarterback position is still undetermined as there is a fiece competition among Daulton Mente, junior Ben Emrich and freshman Frank Biermann.  Running the football this season will be the whoever wins the quarterback spot, senior Daulton Mente (408 yards, 4 TD’s), senior Dalton Clark (224 yards) and senior Brendan Claussen.

Mente is the top receiver back with 285 yards on 17 receptions and 1 touchdown but, if he is the quarterback, that will open up opportunities for new players to step up.  Zach Ford and Dalton Clark return with some experience at receiving as well.

Dalton Clark is the top defensive player returning.  Clark had 63 tackles which was second on the team last year.  Zach Ford had 58 tackles returns as well and was third on the Tigers team in tackles.  2015 seniors Spencer Gritton (73 tackles), Johnston (55 tackles), Cameron Ihrig (49 tackles) and Jordan Challis (6 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, 44 tackles) all graduated.

On special teams, the Tigers will be looking for a placekicker after Kim Green-Hodge graduated.  Hodge made 37 PAT’s and handled kick-off duty.  Brendan Claussen, who had 21 kick off attempts, could slide into handling those duties.  Tipton will also have to find a punter as both Adam Hermsen (37.2 ave.) and Griffin Ormsby (40.0 ave.) both graduated.  The return game will be handed to a combination of Mente, Claussen, Emrich and Dillon McCollough.

Tipton will play five home games this season including their 2016 season opener on August 26th against Wilton.  Tipton will host Jesup on September 16 for homecoming.  Other home games are Bellevue on September 30, West Branch on October 14 and North Cedar on October 21.

Gone From 2015: Adam Hermsen, Griffin Ormsby, Spencer Gritton, Dylan Binns, Koby Johnston, Nate Moeller, Jordan Challis, Cameron Ihrig, Tyson Gilbert, Hunter McCollough, Reuben Mohr, Trysten Schwenker, Matt Rowold, Gage Garner, Dawson Hilbert, Nathan Owen.

Back From 2016: Dalton Clark, Daulton Mente, Brendan Claussen, Dillon McCollough, Zach Ford, Zach Jones, Logan Schroeder, Kolton Crock, Blaise Thumma, Ryan Youkovitz, Ben Emrich, Hunter Tenley, Keith Penningroth, Trenton Hilbert, Jake McDonald, Andrew Roling, Will Avey, Brandon Holladay.

New Faces: Chance Koch, Quinten Mesick, Frank Biermann, John Crowley, Jason Storjohann, Connor Hermiston, Billy Fonner.