A pair of officials who combined for 66 years working games throughout the Ohio Valley and beyond are the latest additions to the OVAC Hall of Fame.

Joining the Class of 2025 in the Officials category are the late Dan Delande and Joe Hissom.

Those two, along with the other selections to the conference ‘hall’, will be inducted at the 21st OVAC Hall of Fame Banquet at WesBanco Arena in August.

Previously announced honorees included Buckeye Local’s Ron Pobolish and Magnolia’s Craig Schneid as Coaches; Wheeling Central’s Pat Korsnick and Wheeling High’s Gerald Schultze from the 1960s; Bishop Donahue’s Gary Fonner and Wintersville’s Ernie Andria from the 1970s; Linsly’s Heath Haynes and St. Clairsville’s Ann Osborne from the 1980s; Bellaire’s Richie Mamie and Buckeye Local’s Chet Pobolish from the 1990s; Martins Ferry’s Clay Tucker and Beaver Local’s Derek Wolfe from the 2000s; and Wheeling Park’s Errin Baynes and Indian Creek’s Alex Young from the 2010s; Steve Wojcik in the OVAC Family category and Mike DelRe as an OVAC Contributor.

Next week, the “Legends of OVAC Schools” selections will be announced along with this year’s Dennis Magruder Distinguished Service Award recipient.

Here’s a look at the officials honorees:

Dan Delande

(Bridgeport High School, Class of 1965)

Delande was a long-time official in two sports: as a basketball referee for 22 years and as a softball umpire for 27 years with games in the OVAC, Inter-Valley Conference, Pioneer Valley Conference and Federal League as well as 12 years umpiring Division II and III college contests.

He worked sectional, district, regional and state level tournaments in both Ohio and West Virginia including 15 Ohio regionals, nine Ohio state tournaments, four West Virginia state softball finals and one West Virginia state basketball final.

Delande served as an officer and executive committee member of the Ohio Valley Board of Softball Umpires, was an officials’ assigner and a member of the OVAC All-Star Basketball Committee.

He was inducted into the Ohio High School Athletic Association Officials Hall of Fame in 2025.

Delande also served as director of the adult softball league and umpire assigner for the Wheeling Recreation Department, and served as a co-director of the Wheeling Basketball Shootout for many years.

Delande played baseball and basketball at Bridgeport, earning All-Ohio recognition as a first baseman as a senior, and later became an avid softball player and golfer. He was inducted into the Bridgeport Hall of Fame in 2024.

He received his bachelor’s degree from Ohio University in 1971 and his master’s degree from the University of Dayton in 1977. He served as a teacher and principal at Bridgeport, Martins Ferry and St. Joseph’s Catholic School and also as a substitute teacher at Shadyside after he retired. Delande, who served in the U.S. Navy, passed away in 2024 at age 77.

Joe Hissom

(Barnesville High School, Class of 1975)

A registered basketball official for 39 years, Hissom hung up his whistle following the 2020-2021 season.

During his career, he worked six OHSAA State Tournament games; 42 regional tournament games; 54 district championship games; 25 OVAC Basketball Tournament championship games and nine Buckeye 8 Tournament title games.

Hissom officiated games in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference, East Central Ohio League, Muskingum Valley League, Inter-Valley Conference, Buckeye 8 Athletic League and Pioneer Valley Conference and countless non-conference games throughout the East District during his career.

He was named District 5 Basketball Coaches Association Official of the Year three times; the District 12 Basketball Coaches Association Official of the Year in 2002; and the OVAC Official of the Year.

Hissom, whose son Matt carries on the family tradition of officiating, was a member of the Ohio Valley Board of Basketball Officials and the East Central Ohio Board of Basketball Officials.