Now that the 2015-2016 high school basketball season has come to an end, it is now time for our staff to make our selections for our Players of the Year, Coaches of the Year and All-State Teams.
Our 2016 Arizona Preps Big School Coach of the Year was very difficult to select this season, as there were numerous top-rated coaching performances. But in the end, no other head coach stood out more among big schools this high school season than Sunnyslope High School's long-time, hard-working and disciplined head coach Ray Portela.
Portela has done an excellent job of leading the Sunnyslope basketball program, after taking over for former legendary head coach Tom Mannix years ago. With Mannix as a consistent supporter of the team and still sitting behind the bench, Portela has developed the Sunnyslope High School basketball program into one of the elite basketball programs in the state - previously producing such top-rated college talents as Michael Humphrey (Stanford), Sammy Barnes-Thompkins (Boston College) and Royce Woolridge (University of Kansas/Washington State/Grand Canyon University).
This season was the best of all for Portela, who led the Vikings to an impressive 25-5 overall record this season in the state's top division, and a runner-up Division-I State Championship finish. Sunnyslope made believers out of everyone in the state this high school season, and fell just short (51-48) of defeating state champion, Mesa High School in an exciting state final.
Portela is a hard-nosed coach that also played at Sunnyslope High School - a 1991 graduate of the school and my former nemesis in high school. Portela was a very tough, defensive-minded player at Sunnyslope and his personality has definitely translated to his team as a head coach. A wonderful leader of young men and an inspiration to his team.
Congratulations to Portela on this tremendous honor, and a wonderful 2015-2016 basketball season from our staff here at Arizona Preps. Portela will return much of his team next season another title run.
Finishing runner-up for this year's honor included Mesa High School head coach Shane Burcar, who led Mesa to this year's Division-I State Championship in fine fashion, and also Agua Fria High School first-year head coach Randy Lavender, who led Agua Fria to a terrific season and a runner-up Division-II state championship finish.
