Celebrating 10 years of covering boy's hoops in Portville

Website established Sept. 25, 1999

Section 6, Class C Champions: 1975

Section 6, Class C2 Champions: 2000

Expressway Conference Champions: 1993-94-95-99-2000-01

Member of the Chautauqua Cattaraugus Athletic Association

Ray was a graduate of Dunkirk High School, class of 1948. He graduated from Fredonia State College in 1952, where he was a member of the varsity basketball team.

From 1952 until 1959, he taught in Cuba, NY. In 1959 he accepted a teaching position in the Ridgewood, NJ school system. He came to Portville in 1962, where he would teach until his retirement in 1990.

Coach Deland held many positions in athletics at Portville. He was a junior varsity baseball coach in 1964-65, the JV boy’s basketball coach from 1964-66, and he was a co-coach of the boy’s track team in 1969-70. From 1979 until 1990 he was the athletic director at PCS.

In 1966, Ray took the position he would become best known for in the Big 30 when he became the head coach of the boy’s basketball team.

In the following 22 years, coach Deland’s teams would have a combined record of 285-151 for a .654 winning percentage. His teams were known for their tenacious defense.

In 1975, the Panthers won their first Section VI Class C championship.

Ray received Coach of the Year honors in the 1980-81 season, and was a member of the Cattaraugus County Athletic Hall of Fame.

In 1987, Ray decided he needed a change of pace and became the head coach of the girl’s varsity basketball team, a team he coached to the New York State Class C Semi-Finals in 1992.

What others in the Portville Basketball Family had to say about Coach Deland:

Fred Caya, former player and current boy’s basketball coach:

“It is hard to believe it’s been 35 years since I had the pleasure and honor to compete for PCS and Coach Ray Deland. He was an influential and very important person in my life. He was the first coach that had enough faith in me as a student athlete and helped instill a life-long love for competition and the game of basketball. After completing high school and college and working in the private sector, coach was the first to offer me a job as JV girl’s basketball coach in 1980 under Varsity coach Kevin Curran. Though I only coached that season, I knew then that it was an avenue I someday would pursue at some level.”

“I owe it all to Coach Deland. He had a great basketball mind and a quick and witty sense of humor. I was very fortunate to know Ray and his wife Monica on a personal level, and was always welcome in their home. I was and will always be one of his boys. He touched all of us that competed for him and will be sorely missed.”

Former Head Coach Ron McMahon:

“When I first started coaching at PCS back in 1979, Ray was becoming a legend in the Big 30. For 6 years, I was his assistant and during that time, I came away with some very valuable lessons.”

“Easily, the most important was the value of defense. Ray would stress defense more than anything. If you weren’t willing to “D” it up, you wouldn’t play.”

“Also, the thing that amazed me the most about Ray would be the way he handled officials. In his whole time of coaching, I believe Ray only had one or two technicals.”

“Ray knew what he wanted to achieve and he did it extremely well. He made Portville a basketball name in Western New York, and hopefully some of us have contributed a little to this legacy.”

Tim Hinman, former player and now an assistant coach:

"When I think back about playing for coach Deland, I remember that Deland & Defense went hand in hand. He preached and preached that defense wins games, and if you couldn't or wouldn't play with intensity and heart, you wouldn't be on the floor long."

"Coach gave me an opportunity to play and learn a great game on a great team, with many wonderful memories, and for that I will be forever grateful. RIP Coach."

Jeff Nix, former player, Co-founder of Camouflage Kids:

"Coach Deland was a great coach and better person.....he loved teaching kids which carried over into his basketball coaching....his dedication to detail and precision in practice provided us with the ability to execute his game plans to success...he truly earned the title of "COACH" and valued that title with pride.....he worked us hard because he knew we could take it and he maximized the potential in all of us....for that we are all very thankful....he prepared us to win both on and off the basketball court and was a father figure to us all....Coach will be truly missed."

Paul Dorman, former player who was the first 1000 point scorer in Portville history:

"Coach DeLand gave me an opportunity to play high school basketball which led to my being involved with the game on and off for the past 40 years as both a player and coach. For that, I am forever grateful."

"He certainly did stress the 3-2 matchup zone. As a less than D loving player, we bumped heads on occasion. Oddly enough, the importance of defense changed dramatically when I began coaching. Defense can win games."