Three deserving individuals have been selected for induction into the 2026 Class of the Mineral Point Football Hall of Fame.
The group will be honored at halftime of the home game vs. Lancaster Friday, September 11.
Pat Murphy
Class of 1988
Pat Murphy was a three-year starter as a defensive back and linebacker on defense, and as a split-end on offense. During that time, he had 98 catches for 1177 yards, which ranks him 8th all time at Mineral Point for both receptions and yardage. Defensively, Pat ranks 5th all time in total tackles with 279, and also added eight interceptions, which ties him for 8th all time. Pat is the son of Hall of Fame Coach Ron Murphy. In 1987, Pat helped lead the Pointers to their first WIAA Playoff berth where they beat DeSoto 24-18 in OT before losing to eventual State Champion Darlington. That season, he scored seven touchdowns and led the Pointers in tackles. He was fortunate to have his younger brother, Mike, serve as the starting quarterback his Senior year, while the youngest Murphy boy, Brian “Moose,” served as the water boy for the team. Pat was named Second Team Southern 8 All-Conference offensive end and defensive back his Junior season, and first team SWAL All-Conference offensive end and defensive back his Senior season.
After graduating from Mineral Point, Pat attended UW-Platteville where he played college basketball for Coach Bo Ryan. He was a member of the 1991 NCAA Division 3 National Championship Team, starting his last two seasons where the team had a combined 51-8 record, winning the WSUC in the 1992-93 season.
After teaching in Bloomington, Iowa-Grant, and Mineral Point, Pat recently retired from Monroe High School after 25 years as a special education teacher. He also led the school for 15 years as the head boys basketball coach, during which the team won six conference championships and made four trips to the WIAA State Tournament. His team won the 2007 WIAA Division 2 State Championship. Pat was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2020 as a high school basketball coach, and he is a proud member of the Mineral Point Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
Pat and his fiancee, Brenda, live in Monroe and are proud parents to Austin, Paige, Bri, JT, and James, and have three grandchildren: Layla, Nattie and baby boy, Murphy.
Sy Staver
Class of 2015
Sy was a three-year starter on offense and defense as a receiver, and as a defensive back, and also started three games at quarterback in 2013. He was named Second Team SWAL All-Conference in 2012 and 2013 and First Team SWAL All-Conference in 2014 at offensive end. He was also named First Team SWAL All-Conference as a return specialist and Second Team SWAL All-Conference defensive back in 2014. His big play ability as a returner resulted in most teams kicking away from him, but despite this, he took four kickoffs back for touchdowns during the 2014 season. He finished his career with 103 tackles, three interceptions, and a sack defensively, and had 83 receptions for 1493 yards and 16 touchdowns. He ranks 4th in MPHS history all time in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He added 265 rushing yards with seven touchdowns, and threw for 428 yards and six touchdowns in three games as a quarterback. Sy is tied for the 8th all time in scoring with 27 touchdowns and five two-point conversions for 172 career points. Sy also played in the 2015 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game.
Two of Sy’s favorite memories from his football career include a hard fought 18-12 Homecoming win against Iowa-Grant, and his first WIAA Playoff win against Deerfield by a score of 28-7, both during his Senior season. Both were key wins for a program that was building momentum towards greatness. Sy was fortunate to play for some great coaches and alongside many outstanding players. He was excited to be part of Coach Andy Palzkill’s new “spread era” of football, and got to play many roles in trying to exploit other teams’ weaknesses down the field, and in spaces that the defense left open.
Sy also fondly remembers the great experiences that playing in the 2015 All-Star Game created for him. It was a special experience to compete with the best in the state, and represent the Mineral Point program one last time. Sy is grateful for all of the support he had from coaches, teammates, family, and the community throughout his journey.
Sy currently lives and works in Madison with his wife, Christine, whom he recently married. Together, they are enjoying this exciting new chapter of life.
Scott Pittz
Class of 2016
Scott was a three-year starter at quarterback, in which time he was one of the best to ever play the position for Mineral Point. In addition, Scott became an outstanding linebacker on defense, and led the team in tackles during his Senior season. Scott was twice named as the SWAL All-Conference quarterback, and was the 2014 SWAL Offensive Player of the Year. In 2014, he was voted Second Team All-State quarterback, and was an Honorable Mention All-State quarterback in 2015. Scott played quarterback in the 2016 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game.
Scott ranks third all time for Mineral Point in passing yards, in touchdown passes, and in completion percentage. His totals would make him the career leader for almost every team in Southwest Wisconsin. Defensively, Scott accounted for 137 career tackles, including 104 during the 2015 season.
Scott remembers the teams that he played on being very resilient. Coach Andy Palzkill and Coach Justin Leonard would constantly preach, “On to the next play,” and he and his teammates took that to heart. One of Scott’s favorite memories about their resilience came against Iowa-Grant his Senior season. Down 36-14 at halftime, he and his teammates dug in and scored 36 unanswered points to pull away from the Panthers — one of the greatest turnarounds in Pointer history. Scott also remembers other notable games — the 2013 season finale where they beat Fennimore 34-20 to knock the Golden Eagles out of the WIAA Playoffs, and the 2015 Playoff game against Dodgeland — a 41-40 thriller where he threw the game-winning touchdown with 10 seconds left on the clock, and the Pointers kicked the winning extra point to advance to Level 2.
Scott credits being from a “quarterback family” for much of his success. His dad, uncles, and cousin were all starting quarterbacks for the Pointers. He also would like to recognize the talented group of receivers and running backs, along with some amazing offensive linemen, that he was fortunate to play with as a huge part of his success.
Scott currently lives in Mineral Point with his wife, Emily, and two daughters, Clarke and Scottie. He is the head coach of the Pointer Girls Wrestling team, and enjoys watching all of the Pointer sports with his family.