I want all of my. ', "But as people started asking me about the movie and telling me 'Hey, Thomas, but didn't this happen? Brittny Mejia is a Metro reporter who joined the Los Angeles Times in 2014. You just do what you can do. White also makes amends with Julie by throwing her a quinceaera with help from the neighbors, though it goes wrong when Julie is taken out on "parade" around the town and the group is attacked by street punks. Victor Puentes; 2015; Related news. Jose Cardenas, McFarland's expected No. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. After the race, Jim turns down the Palo Alto position and embraces his family and the team. Coach White took the orders and delivered them. Change). White taught fifth-grade science and seventh- and eighth- grade PE and woodshop. SAC and everywhere we could find competition that could make us better. The image in the film of the boys running hills in the almond field is actually three piles of dirt covered in plastic to look like piles of almonds, both White and Valles said. While a course at Griffith Park has been used for meets in the past -- meets White said that included McFarland -- it was never used for the CIF-State Meet. Victor Puentes is just to his left. McFarland, USA (2015) 1 He's just sitting there, man. Didn't you get into this fight? McFarland, USA was released on February 20, 2015, received positive reviews from critics, and grossed over $45 million. Girls XC coach at McFarland. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. White continued teaching and coaching in McFarland until his retirement in 2003 and after that he continued living in McFarland. "You saw the hills at the end of the movie.". Required fields are marked *. Seneca School, Sure, Ill help as best I can. We treated them just like our kids. " Eventually, the McFarland team competes in and qualifies for the State Tournament, and White takes them to the beach to celebrate. What did Coach White throw at the football player inside the Suggest an edit or add missing content . It took all of us to make thisevery runner who won a state championship from McFarland made this happen, not just myself or the seven runners. Well acted and tremendously inspirational. Immediately after the race, Valles said he was taken with a group of top finishers for awards and media but didn't know if the team had actually won. His performance at the 1987 state meet did help McFarland lock up the title. Not exactly. The movies about Mr. White. It's based on a true story, but not everything's very factual, but it's still an enjoyable movie. But then it was nervous time. I wish I had the time to start, Puentes says. David is represented in the McFarland, USA movie along with two of his brothers, Damacio and Danny. The message is so clear, never give up, even when the odds are against you. Regardless, the Whites decide to live in McFarland instead of Jim making the commute from nearby Bakersfield, where most of the school's Caucasian teachers live. The McFarland team continued to run races in North America, Europe, and Asia. interview. Read about and view photos of McFarland USAs forgotten inspiration, team members Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez, who died in a practice accident in 1986. [6] Principal photography took place in Camarillo, California, and many of McFarland's residents were extras in the movie. Victor Puente Is An American News Ancho Born in Germany to Army parents, He has spent most of his life living in Kentucky. "That's their livelihood. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. I didn't grow up telling my parents I loved them. Within this situation, many of those in the next generation have little chance of getting out of this life, many turning to crime as a means to survive. Custom Content. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A look at the real McFarland USA kids and coach JimWhite, You can't have my job, but I'll tell you a story, Show the world what has happened to my son. Retired as a correctional officer. Did he ride a pink girls 'Barbie' bike, or was it only Costner? inspired to strive for something beyond Hi there! White coached for 23 years from 1980 through 2002 and he came back for one year in 2003. We'd love to share your memories of that meet and that experience. "I didn't ride the Barbie bike," White said. Boards Disney's 'McFarland' (Exclusive)", "Disney movie starring Kevin Costner filming in Camarillo", "Pixar's 'The Good Dinosaur' Pushed Back Nearly 18 Months After Losing Director", "Kevin Costner Movie 'McFarland' Moves Out Of 2014", "Kevin Costner's Sports Drama 'McFarland USA' Pushed to 2015", "Weekend Report: Moviegoers Flee From 'Fifty Shades', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=McFarland,_USA&oldid=1107843665, Jim White had not been fired from numerous prior teaching jobs before starting at McFarland. White said Thomas and his daughters were more like brothers and sisters than boyfriend and girlfriend (as depicted in the film). You dont feel your feet hitting the [ground] anymore, you dont feel that youre out of breath. McFarland USA Movie Review. To make up for the time they couldn't work in the fields due to cross country practice, Jim White would sometimes give his time to them by helping them pick in the fields. For Victor Puentes, one of the subjects of the Disney film McFarland, USA, life has not exactly followed a Hollywood storyline. Its not about me, its not about the other runners. Though Puentes doesnt see much of himself in the films portrayal, he says thats not whats important. There is much excitement and anticipation in McFarland about the film, which stars Kevin Costner as coach Jim White, and as I mentioned in my previous posts that dealt with the enormous heartache this town endured in the 1980s Show the world what has happened to my son, Prom night, a crash and six teens lost and McFarlands never-ending heartache this close-knit town deserves some good will and national love. McFarland had four in (31 points) before Stevenson's No. A series of texts shows that under White's guidance, the team becomes outstandingly successful, winning nine state titles over fourteen years. Jose. Following in father's footsteps working in the agricultural business. No, the real Coach Jim White actually started coaching cross country at McFarland High School in 1980. He retired in 2003 after 23 years of coaching boys cross country. "[16] A. O. Scott of The New York Times described the film favorably as "a slick and safe Disney version of a fascinating and complicated reality", and that "Mr. Costner, with his knack for grumpy understatement, manages both to dominate the film and to deflect attention from himself. experience coaching the team. Jim does whatever he can to get the key boys in any way he can to be the core of the needed seven member team. His Exact Measurements are Still Under Investigation We Will Soon Update. It took all of us to make thisevery runner who won a state championship from McFarland made this happen, not just myself or the seven runners. The judge sentenced me to a time period that we believe is fair.. After sentencing, Diaz spoke with reporters outside the federal courthouse in Fresno. Wagner said during a press conference Friday that they began looking into Diazs activities as a result of information received from unrelated drug investigations earlier this year. White and his team overcome poverty and personal turmoil, and get to the pinnacle of success. In White's time, the town's population has slowly grown from fewer than 4,000 to just over 15,000. White would take his teams to train in Yosemite at elevation. White finds the potential for cross-country in few students at the school. However, it happened a little differently than in the movie. Excellent movie. But Diaz believes Puentes has the tools to turn his life around. Thanks, Youre just thinking about your life or whatever is going on around you at the time., Puentes former McFarland cross country teammate Danny Diaz recently told 23ABC News, He made some bad choices and hes the first to tell you, You know what? "She was crying and hugging Danny. "Niki Caro wanted to show more family in the movie so they chose me," says the real David Diaz, who actually graduated during the school year before the first state title win. Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner) is the new The alleged offenses took place from April 2012 to February of this year, he said. Im from McFarland and Im proud to be from McFarland.". In seventh grade, Valles said his PE teacher (White) introduced himself and said he coached cross country and track. From left: Johnny Samaniego, David Diaz, Damacio Diaz, Jim White, Kevin Costner, Thomas Valles, Daniel Diaz and Victor Puentes will appear in McFarland, which began production this week. McFarland, USA. Directed by Niki Caro, McFarland, USA opened in theaters on February 20, 2015. We just set a record. Back then, McFarland was largely white demographically. Valles said he asked the McFarland principal if the team had won. I actually realized what true love was. Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Most Popular Video Games Most Popular Music Videos Most . The movies about Mr. White. "Sometimes I helped them work in the fields," says the real Coach Jim White, "but more importantly, I had practice at a different time. MileSplit California Editor: In the least, such scenes seem to have been exaggerated by the filmmakers. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. I screwed up.. He was like a second dad, Puentes says. When we needed something, she tried her best to provide for us, even though we had our own families. When asked about the measure of fame Diaz received due to the film, and his reputation as a hero in McFarland, Williamson responded that sometimes people arent what they seem. All seven Diaz He looked after us, he made sure that if we got out of line, he corrected us.. cross country coach talks about what it Hollywood's fictional fingers are all over how the story is framed but in the big picture, the film captures the essence of the main characters and the story quite well on the big screen. PrepCalTrack.com conducted this Jim White ", White, the former baseball player, was a right-handed pitcher. All of a sudden I saw these headlights and it was Mr. White in his '59 Chevy." Yes. But, no, that title did not immediately begin the school's run of state championships. Juanita Diaz. The real McFarland Cougars who won the 1987 cross-country state championship in California are shown from left: Thomas Valles, Victor Puentes, Damacio Diaz, Johnny Samaniego, Jose Cardenas,. The McFarland, USA true story supports that McFarland High School won nine CIF California State Championships in cross country (including five in a row) and held a streak of attending the state championship meet 24 years in a row. "[15] James Rocchi of TheWrap wrote "A feel-good movie that earns all those good feelings, McFarland USA might be running on a predetermined track, but the heart it shows along the journey is what makes it a winner. Mejia was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2021 in local reporting for her investigation with colleague Jack Dolan that exposed failures in Los Angeles Countys safety-net healthcare system. Primary filming took place in McFarland, California in 2013. -LCU.edu, Yes. Victor Puentes served a sentence at the penitentiary, but continued his education and got a good job. And, man, I just started crying, started crying tears of joy. If you need Internet, this is your call to action! But he did say there was a "low-rider" bike with his nickname "Blanco" on it. There will b She was an Orisha sent to earth to be the protector all. A week later, Diaz booked only one pound of methamphetamine from the car into evidence. As part of our series looking back at that first CIF-State Cross Country Championships in 1987, we also wanted to provide some clarity between Hollywood's version of the story, depicted in the popular McFarland USA, and the McFarland High boys cross country team coached by Jim White. Victor Puentes is a 1989 graduate of Mcfarland High School in Mcfarland, CA. The day of the state championships comes and almost the whole McFarland community accompanies the team to the race. 'Danny made a big difference in my life.' "Just getting everybody to believe in themselves," Valles said was how White developed and maintained the program at such a high level. Now he has nothing but the highest regard for White. Im done. Q: Whats the latest on Bakersfield Police Department Detective Damacio Diaz, who is facing multiple federal charges after FBI investigators a, Positive Cases Among Kern Residents: 304,028, Recovered and Presumed Recovered Residents: 297,089, Percentage of all cases that are unvaccinated:71.26, Percentage of all hospitalizations that are unvaccinated:83.16, Source: Kern County Public Health Services Department. Danny Diaz was not overweight as a child. Grandchildren to see this wonderful film. On one occasion, Mrs. Diaz made 200 dozen tamales to send the team to Asia. McFarland was not rivals with Palo Alto High School (the schools are 4 hours apart) nor did the schools ever race each other. Three out of the seven young McFarland USA cast actors on the team in the movie are from the McFarland areaSergio Avelar who plays Victor Puentes and Michael Aguero, cast as Damacio Diaz, are actual runners and Ramiro Rodriguez, as Danny Diaz, was a champion soccer player. Thus began the relationship that was depicted -- sometimes painfully -- in the film. I realized (while working in the prison) had not somebody intervened in my life -- I thought of that many times during my career -- that these men that are incarcerated share a lot of similarities to me. "[17], McFarland, USA was nominated at the 2015 Teen Choice Awards in the category Choice Movie: Drama. Danny Diaz, daughter Delia Diaz, Gabriel The answers are in chronological order. Also check out the incredibly moving real photos from the beach scene depicted in McFarland USA from the personal album of Silvia Diaz. Another blast is on the way. "McFarland's Family of Champions," are He, his wife Cheryl White, and their daughters, mid-teen Julie White and preteen Jamie White, have only lived in largely white homogeneous environments, so when Jim accepts the only job he can get as life sciences and phys ed teacher and assistant football coach at McFarland High School in Central California, they are somewhat ill-prepared mentally for the relatively poor conditions and the largely homogeneous Hispanic population in the town, most of their neighbors Mexican immigrants who work as pickers in the surrounding agricultural fields. By Ellysa Harris. "That's how we developed that. Julie and Jami are also portrayed relatively younger than their real ages at the time of McFarland's first state title win in 1987 (all three were in college during that time). A former Bakersfield Police Department detective and member of the famed McFarland High School cross-country team depicted in the Disney film McFarland, USA was sentenced this week to five years in prison. "He didn't know but I took it as if he had said no," Valles said. Did that happen? Listen Closely (Victor Puentes/McFarland USA Fanfic). Cookie Preferences, Generated by 10.1.2.53 from cache (2435 ttl) in 25 milliseconds. All right, guys. Eventually sophomore Danny Diaz crossed in 91st (68th) to close out the scoring. As the boys manage to reach one goal after another on the march to the state championships, their newfound support as a collective may be threatened by the realities of McFarland and Jim catching the attention of other, more prestigious schools in predominantly white, upper middle class communities. Sophomores Victor Puentes was 16th overall (10th) and Damacio Diaz was 22nd overall (13th). Announces 2023 Boston Marathon Mens Field. He showed Valles how . Athena Sanders left McFarland for college, leaving everyone she knew behind. He also allegedly filed false federal tax returns. McFarland was that 'small' then and is still today. The most points ever scored against this school, and it's halftime. Today, Valles coaches girls cross country coach at McFarland and travels around to speak and share his story. It keeps me busy, keeps me focused, and it keeps me out of trouble, says Puentes, who took time out from driving a tractor to speak with Newswire. At times, Diaz purchased meth from Magallanes for personal use, the indictment states. Yes. I'm getting goosebumps now. He later taught woodshop and physical education. Kevin Costner stars in Disney's McFarland, USA, a moving film based on an inspirational true story of underdogs triumphing over tremendous obstacles. Puentes grew up in Clay City and am a proud Powell County Pirate. It reminds me of another good one, Glory Road. The chief said Diaz and the drug trafficker, Guillermo Magallanes, had known each other for quite some time and that Magallanes had been working as a BPD informant. Feel free to email jeffrey.parenti@flosports.tv. Despite a strong group returning from the '87 championship team, McFarland only placed fifth in 1988. When asked about the measure of fame Diaz received due to the film, and his reputation as a hero in McFarland, Williamson responded that sometimes people arent what they seem. ** DISCLAIMER ** - It wasn't my fault. (David Diaz and Amador Ayon were both seniors on the 1986 team and didn't get the chance to compete for a state championship. Yes, the nickname the boys gave him, as depicted in the film, was real. In 1964, after graduating from Pepperdine, White was hired to teach middle school science in McFarland. Added Cheryl: "With him being a pitcher, he would have been straight on.". That's OK. We're doing it for our kids, we'll do it for you. [5] Negotiations for Kevin Costner to star were finalized in July 2013. Puentes is proud to be recognized for his role in the teams accomplishments nearly 28 years later, and that the film has put his hometown on the map. Their legs were shot by Friday, the day before State.". "Danny, he passed up Jose out there somewhere," White recalled. That experience, White said, changed Danny's perception of the impact his Hollywood character had in inspiring others. McFarland, USA (also known as McFarland) is a 2015 American sports drama film directed by Niki Caro, produced by Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray, written by Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson with music composed by Antnio Pinto. ", "It was a great accomplishment," White said. Definitely. Located in California's agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley, McFarland is one of the poorest communities in California. Thomas Valles was barely a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. When Diaz filed a joint income tax return that year, he omitted additional income of at least $97,900, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Jim White attended Franklin High in Stockton and Magic Valley Christian community college in Idaho before completing his education at Pepperdine. Mar 14, 2015. He was a baseball player, a pitcher, in high school and in college. Though the film portrays Puentes as a ladies man, he says he was actually the shyest person on the team. Teammate updates and McFarland photos courtesy of Thomas Valles. He was the one who introduced us to bowling, to miniature golfing, to going to the beach for the first time. She knew that some of us needed a little bit more. The two met at secret locations, including the upper level of the Valley Plaza mall parking garage, to discuss drug business, according to the indictment. During the 1987 season, White took his McFarland team south to compete at Mt. They are portrayed to be 15 and 10, a few years younger than they actually were at the time of the first state title in 1987 (the girls were in college at the time). He took care of us, he fed us, he clothed us. Valles, a senior, placed seventh overall and second among scorers. Jim White is to Thomas' right and Gary Adams is to White's right. For Victor Puentes, one of the subjects of the Disney film McFarland, USA, life has not exactly followed a Hollywood storyline. "Thomas didn't have anger management and Danny wasn't fat," White said when asked about inaccuracies in the film. He said he didnt want 2 hire lawyers or have 2 deal with all that. For more California news, follow @brittny_mejia. But thanks to the film, hes been given a new lease on life. But when Coach discovers the boys' exceptional . John Ortiz as Jose Cardenas, Ramiro Rodriguez as Danny Diaz, Carlos Pratts as Thomas Valles, Sergio Avelar as Victor Puentes, Michael Aguero as Damacio Diaz, Kevin Costner as Jim White, Hector Duran as Johnny Sameniego and Rafael Martinez as David Diaz in "McFarland, USA." After that, the Cougars were the easy favorites to win the first small schools division (D-III) State Meet title. He looked after us, he made sure that if we got out of line, he corrected us.. Just two weeks before he was placed on leave, Diaz posed for photos on the red carpet at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. White has lived in McFarland ever since. 'What's going on?' Its just something to be proud of. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. Many of the citizens of McFarland were extras in the movie. McFarland had four in (31 points) before Stevenson's No. Is McFarland, USA Sad? What about this one? The film does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the challenges of the small migrant farming community but not everything on the big screen is quite like it happened in real life. 'McFarland' Movie Helps One of Original Runners Get Back On Track, For Victor Puentes, one of the subjects of the Disney film. Some of the more notable differences included:[8]. Your email address will not be published. Though it is very close, Jim White likely wouldn't have had a clear view of it from his classroom window, as a street of homes separates the school's athletic fields from the prison grounds. Did they run over piles of almonds to simulate hills? When Coach Jim White (Costner) arrives to teach at a predominantly Latino high school, everyone has a lot to learn about each other. "Neither did I throw that shoe at that young man. Those kids were good students. Unlike many of his former teammates, Puentes no longer runs, but he misses it. At first, it is just a temporary pla McFarland, USA | Preferences and Imagines.