Three deserving individuals have been selected for induction into the 2023 Class of the Mineral Point Football Hall of Fame.
The trio will be honored at the home game vs. Lancaster Friday, August 18.
Following the game, all are welcome to celebrate the new award winners at Dodge-Point Country Club.
Bob Baker
#30 Nose Tackle / Offensive End
1967 – 1968
Bob Baker was a two-time First Team All-Conference player during the 1967 and 1968 football seasons. Bob was a big play threat as an end on offense, and a huge disruptive force at nose tackle on defense.
Despite being only 135 pounds as a Senior, Bob’s quickness, toughness, and speed earned him First Team All-SWAL recognition for both his Junior and Senior seasons. In those years, there was not an offensive and defensive team, just a 14 person First Team, and 14 person Second Team for the entire 13 team SWAL Conference. Making First Team for two seasons is an impressive feat. Bob also received a vote for Conference MVP in 1967, and was second in voting for Conference MVP in 1968. He was named to the Third Team All-Madison Area Squad by the Capital Times for the 1968 season, and Bob finished third in scoring for the Conference in 1968 with eight touchdowns and 48 points.
Bob was instrumental in the team securing a share of the Conference title in 1967, being responsible for the only scores in two pivotal games. Bob had the only score against Iowa-Grant in a 7-0 victory. He blocked a punt, and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown. In a defensive coach’s dream, Bob tackled Platteville’s All-State quarterback in the endzone for a safety in a 2-0 victory over the Conference Co-Champion Hillmen.
Bob fondly remembers his time playing with his teammates on two fantastic Pointer teams, and singled out a 69-6 thrashing of Fennimore during his Senior season in which he and seven of his fellow Pointers scored touchdowns. The Pointers passed for 498 yards in that game, which was likely a school record at the time.
Bob and his wife Robin live in Waldwick. He is retired from Cummins, and now spends his time as a commercial beekeeper. His son James lives and works at Cummins in Mineral Point, and his daughter Catherine is the assistant District Attorney in Fond du Lac.
Allen Bauman
Varsity / JV / Freshman Coach
1962 – 1996
Allen Bauman graduated from UW-Whitewater in the spring of 1962, where he was the Most Valuable Wrestler and Wrestling Team Captain during his Senior season. His first teaching and coaching job was in Richland Center, where he coached football and wrestling along with teaching science.
Coach Bauman came to Mineral Point in the fall of 1963 to teach middle school science, and he began an illustrious football and wrestling coaching career that year. He coached football for 34 seasons, from 1963 until 1996, serving as a Varsity Offensive Coordinator, JV, and Freshman Coach during that time.
Allen was instrumental in bringing Ron Murphy to Mineral Point, and was key in Murph’s decision to become the Head Football Coach. During Murph’s time as Head Coach, many Assistant Coaches came and went, but Coach Bauman was a steady influence on the program throughout.
Allen was a big part of the success of Mineral Point teams in the mid to late 1960s that challenged for, and eventually won, a conference title. Allen brought the toughness from the wrestling program to the football teams he assisted on. This toughness remains a large part of what Pointer football is known for to this day. His favorite motivational quote is, “Winning teams become used to winning; losing teams become used to losing.”
Of the many fond memories Coach Bauman recalls, he is most proud of the 1967 Conference Championship team with which he worked. He remembers many close games, and a team with grit and a will to win, which made that season exceptionally fun.
Among his many accolades, Coach Bauman served as President of the Federation of Coaches for all high school sports in Wisconsin, and was the Coaches Liaison to the WIAA Board of Control for several years in the 1980s. He was inducted into the UW-Whitewater Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983.
Allen and his wife Vivian have one daughter – Kristi, and three sons – Bobbyjon, Jason, and Jesse. He continues to live in the Mineral Point area, and remains a strong supporter of Pointer Athletics.
Jordan Tibbits
#10 Defensive Back / Quarterback / Wide Receiver
2006 – 2008
Jordan was a starter on the varsity team in 2006, 2007, and 2008. He played cornerback as a Sophomore in 2006, a wide receiver and safety in 2007, and started at quarterback and safety in 2008.
He played on some of the best teams of the 2000s. All three years of Jordan’s varsity career resulted in WIAA playoff berths, and they twice challenged for Conference titles. These teams amassed a 22-11 record, including going 9-2 during his Senior campaign. Jordan’s playmaking ability was a large part of those teams’ successes.
Jordan is the career interception leader with 18 career interceptions, which is five more than #2 all-time – Hall of Famer Andy Palzkill. Jordan also amassed 201 career tackles as a defensive back during his playing career. He ranks in the top 20 all-time in rushing, passing, and receiving yards, and is the number five all-time scorer with 25 touchdowns and two 2-point conversions.
Jordan was a Second Team All-Conference receiver in 2007, and the Second Team All-Conference quarterback in 2008. He was named First Team All-Conference defensive back in both 2007 and 2008. In addition, he was the 2008 SWAL Defensive Player of the Year, Dodgeville Chronicle All-Area Player of the Year, and AP Honorable Mention All-State defensive back for his Senior season. Jordan also played in the 2009 WFCA All-Star game as a defensive back.
Some memorable games from Jordan’s career include two exciting wins over Darlington. In his Junior year, the Pointers beat the Redbirds 7-6 in a downpour on a muddy field. Jordan caught the winning touchdown with under a minute to go in the game. Then, in the final game of the regular season his Senior year, Jordan rushed for 159 yards and three touchdowns, and threw for 101 yards and another touchdown. The Pointers outscored the Redbirds 34-30 to secure second place in the Conference.
Jordan and his wife Megan currently farm and run Tibbits Show Pigs outside of Mineral Point.