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. Their oldest daughter, Tami, does not appear in the film. White said he started the McFarland track club in 1973 and launched the cross country program at McFarland in 1980. At first, it is just a temporary pla McFarland, USA | Preferences and Imagines. In White's time, the town's population has slowly grown from fewer than 4,000 to just over 15,000. For them to gel as coach and team members, they will have to understand the other better and fully embrace the opportunities. Kevin Costner plays a high-school football coach who ends up leading a cross-country track team made up unlikely students to a state championship. I guarantee I wouldn't have missed. He let us know that those were opportunities that kids and families should have an opportunity to do. Now he has nothing but the highest regard for White. The film was previously slated for a November 21, 2014 release, under the title McFarland,[9] but was pushed back to February 20, 2015 and given a new title. According to the indictment, Magallanes paid Diaz to tip him off to law enforcement investigations and in general to protect him from arrest and prosecution. Nine boys state titles is tied with Jesuit (SJ) for the most boys team titles in state history. He said no other arrests are anticipated in connection with the case. Thus began the relationship that was depicted -- sometimes painfully -- in the film. "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. Victor is a ladies man. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. - Yeah. Im not cocky. Sun and clouds mixed. Its about McFarland. White said he left Stockton to visit his parents for Thanksgiving. McFarland tragedy gave boys heart to win. 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. Yes. The principal shook his head. I told them I was but our goal is to win as a team.". You dont feel your feet hitting the [ground] anymore, you dont feel that youre out of breath. Jim White (Costner) finds his days as a football coach numbered when an incident with a player leads to his dismissal. White finds the potential for cross-country in few students at the school. It's based on a true story, but not everything's very factual, but it's still an enjoyable movie. White and his team overcome poverty and personal turmoil, and get to the pinnacle of success. Both Valles and White said the movie producers preferred the idea of three Diaz brothers on the team rather than just two. Diaz had a life that afforded him many opportunities, including the opportunity to serve and protect his community as an officer of the law, said Phillip A. Talbert, the acting U.S. attorney for Californias eastern district. The indictment states Diazprovided the drug dealer with information on law enforcement practices and activities, disclosed the names and identities of police informants and tipped the dealer off to police investigations, including information on a wiretap probe. For the filming of McFarland USA, director " Niki Caro " used locals as extras in the movies and cast McFarland resident Sergio Avelar for the role of "Victor Puentes". Danny Diaz, daughter Delia Diaz, Gabriel Damacio Diaz, 44, was sentenced Monday for bribery, possession and attempted possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and making and subscribing a false income tax return, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Jeffrey Parenti, jeffrey.parenti@flosports.tv, Contact Us I didn't want to go home," says Thomas. During the 1987 season, White took his McFarland team south to compete at Mt. "Things that Mrs. Diaz did (in the film), that's what Cheryl was doing. The most points ever scored against this school, and it's halftime. (LogOut/ Its not part of the movie, but the team was, obviously, grieving and impacted deeply. Its the best of both worlds. Julie White has moved to small town McFarland with her family. No contact since high school. In 1964, after graduating from Pepperdine, White was hired to teach middle school science in McFarland. They still live in McFarland and still want to make a difference in the community.". He also attended the films premiere in Los Angeles with his daughters and wife earlier this month. Almost all members continue to attend the practices that Jim White held for successive school cross country teams even after graduation from college. Thank you for reading! Diaz, a 17-year veteran of the department, was arrested at BPD headquarters Friday morning. The indictment states Diazprovided the drug dealer with information on law enforcement practices and activities, disclosed the names and identities of police informants and tipped the dealer off to police investigations, including information on a wiretap probe. That streak ended while the movie was in production, after the small school was elevated to Division I status, a byproduct of their success. He also said he didn't have a relationship with his baseball coach and questioned why there couldn't have been a better relationship. Three suspects in custody following fatal shooting in South L.A. Man who set five wildfires in San Diegos back-country gets 9 years in prison, Man serving life sentence for raping and killing San Bernardino 9-year-old charged with murder in second cold case. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. Puentes joined the McFarland cross country team as a freshman, after Coach Jim White showed up at his house and asked if he was interested in joining the team. Did he ride a pink girls 'Barbie' bike, or was it only Costner? Im not like, Hey, Im Victor from the movie. I just feel a little bit better about myself because something good finally happened in my life, besides my children being born. I dont know if it changed everybody else, but it changed me.. It was a great honor to win that first one.". It soon became a dominant program among small schools in Northern California. "You try to offer them the same thing we offered our girls," White said. I walk with my head up high. those boys were heroes to many. He was there to attend the world premiere of Disneys McFarland, USA, which chronicled the 1987 McFarland High School cross-country team, on which Diaz and two of his brothers competed. No, the real Coach Jim White actually started coaching cross country at McFarland High School in 1980. However, I believe the Diaz family did go 2 court & the school paid them an undisclosed amount. They came back. Local photojournalist John Harte, who followed the team at the time, says that he witnessed opposing teams offer genuine handshakes of good luck. He was like a second dad," Puentes says. -LCU.edu, Yes. Added Cheryl: "With him being a pitcher, he would have been straight on.". Unlike many of his former teammates, Puentes no longer runs, but he misses it. He said he told his mother that he wanted to go somewhere small, somewhere where he could have an impact. When we needed something, she tried her best to provide for us, even though we had our own families. I love it so muchthese are people we need the HARD WORKING MEXICANS in this country! ', "Thomas was at our house almost every day.". Excellent, no trash or language. If you need Internet, this is your call to action! Thomas received a degree and served our country before returning to McFarland to raise a family and also help coach the McFarland . We knew we had the potential coming into '87. ", White said Diaz was about 110 pounds as a sophomore in 1987. "We couldn't go out there and run those things," White said. And he considers Coach Whites wife, Cheryl, to be an unsung heroine of the story. PrepCalTrack.com conducted this Jim White Earlier this year, Diaz one of the three Diaz brothers depicted in the 2015 Disney film about the Central Valley team that won the state championship admitted to lying on his tax returns and accepting bribes from a criminal informant in return for information about police during a three-year period starting in 2012, according to the U.S. attorneys office. I dont need it, I dont want it, Puentes says. This page was last edited on 1 September 2022, at 05:39. There will b She was an Orisha sent to earth to be the protector all. McFarland, USA was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 2, 2015 by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. champions. 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. But then it was nervous time. The team placed second in 1989 with Samaniego placing eighth and getting on the podium. In McFarland, USA, Jim White (Kevin Costner) takes a job as the physical education teacher at a . The film shows White taking the team to fields for simulated hill training on mounds of raw almonds. 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. To see additional photos of the McFarland boys and girls teams competing in the 1986 Kern Invitational five days after the tragic accident that took the lives of their teammates, please visit the post McFarlands never-ending heartache.. Now he has nothing but the highest regard for White. Eventually, the McFarland team competes in and qualifies for the State Tournament, and White takes them to the beach to celebrate. He looked after us, he made sure that if we got out of line, he corrected us.. Jim White, Coach Behind McFarland Movie: Its a Running Town Now, .css-1ck2l7d{display:block;font-family:Sailec,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-1ck2l7d:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1ck2l7d{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1ck2l7d{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-1ck2l7d{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1ck2l7d{font-size:1.2rem;line-height:1.4;}}.css-1ck2l7d h2 span:hover{color:#CDCDCD;}The Tunnel Is a 200-Mile Race Through Darkness, Usain Bolt Mysteriously Loses Millions of Dollars, Fall Causes Chaos at the Valencia 10K Start, Theres No Way NFL Players Are Faster Than Bolt, Boston Bomber Attorney Asks to Toss Death Penalty, Colleges Drop Body Composition Testing for Runners, He Ran the Length of the Toronto Subway System, Polish Runner Sets Womens 12-Hour World Record, B.A.A. Danny Diaz was not overweight, but he was the seventh runner on the team. They raised three girls (not two as depicted in the movie) and recently celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. Dozens of Coach Jim White's runners ended up going to college or into the armed forces. "[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. Vanessa Paz (anchor) Biography, Age, Husband, KGW, Salary, Twitter, Tuwanda Coleman Biography, Age, Education, Wife, Career, Salary, Twitter, Wayne Covil Biography, Age, Education, Wife, Career, Twitter. 5. to know what it feels like to be 12, The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. Coach Jim White Interview & the Diaz Family Looks Back, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Yes. "The best part wasn't winning a state championship or winning medals," Valles said, "it's what we did afterward, our education, our careers, my family. [18], Last edited on 1 September 2022, at 05:39, "Kevin Costner in Talks to Star in Disney's Sports Drama 'McFarland', "William Broyles Jr. 'You're actually doing things for us that our mom and dad don't do. This is part of a series of articles looking back at the 1987 CIF-State Cross Country Championships, the first in California. ", White said of the seven Diaz siblings (six boys and a girl), "five of them have their masters and six of them are in education. Since he graduated from Californias McFarland High School in 1989, he has battled drug addiction and spent time in prison. McFarland was not rivals with Palo Alto High School (the schools are 4 hours apart) nor did the schools ever race each other. "Just getting everybody to believe in themselves," Valles said was how White developed and maintained the program at such a high level. A week later, Diaz booked only one pound of methamphetamine from the car into evidence. "Thomas didn't have anger management and Danny wasn't fat," White said when asked about inaccuracies in the film. The film also shows a chubby runner named Danny Diaz rallying late to secure the team title. Without them, there wouldnt be a legacy.. When a police officer misuses his badge to commitcrimes for personal profit, it is the ultimate betrayal of public trust, Wagner said. He also attended the films premiere in Los Angeles with his daughters and wife earlier this month. Google 'McFarland USA fact vs. fiction' and you get quite a few options that separate the true story of the upstart cross country program at the rural Central California high school and Hollywood's spin on it in the 2015 film starring Kevin Costner as coach Jim White. Until he runs into Athena. HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 09: Damacio Diaz attends the world premiere of "McFarland, USA" at The El Capitan Theatre on February 9, 2015 in Hollywood, California. They want to make a difference. Since he graduated from California's McFarland High School in. The reality is much less dramatic: he started teaching in the McFarland school district in 1964 -and only middle school- after graduating from Pepperdine University. 'Danny made a big difference in my life.' Victor Puentes is a 1989 graduate of Mcfarland High School in Mcfarland, CA. For Victor Puentes, one of the subjects of the Disney film McFarland, USA, life has not exactly followed a Hollywood storyline. Mar 14, 2015. "I can't speak for everybody, I can speak for myself," Valles said. A 1997 LA Times article described it as a rickety, worn bicycle, but did not state that it was a girl's bicycle like in the movie. A detective with the Bakersfield Police Department whose exploits as a high school cross-country athlete were highlighted in the Disney film McFarland, USA, has been indicted for allegedly accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes in return for assisting a drug dealer in his methamphetamine operation. I thought that was normal. He recently retired as a California State Correctional officer supervising adult males. He started off as a junior varsity runner but made the varsity squad as a freshman, working his way up from being the teams number four runner to being the number two runner by the time he graduated. it's not all true but he's okay with that. "He had to be wondering, 'Hey, what am I doing up here?' Did Coach White ride his bike as the boys ran? Its not about me, its not about the other runners. [14] In CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend, cinema audiences gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. Cheryl implores him to continue to be there for the McFarland team and their friends in the neighborhood, reminding him how much the community has embraced them. However Disney made it a good story is based on Mr. Whites accomplishment with us, with the nine state championships and everything else. The sports drama was written by Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson. Samaniego was 17th, Puentes 26th, Cardenas 37th, Damacio Diaz 43rd and Danny Diaz was 85th. I want all of my. Their legs were shot by Friday, the day before State.". Because Thomas Valles, McFarlands top runner in 1987, is the focal point of all these photos, this was most likely a profile I was assigned to shoot of him in advance of the state championship meet. Hey! Good men and woman can make a huge difference in the lives of others. Coach White called Thomas over. On one occasion, Mrs. Diaz made 200 dozen tamales to send the team to Asia. Victor Puente Is An American News Ancho Born in Germany to Army parents, He has spent most of his life living in Kentucky. She's the one girl that changes his mind and he wants to date her. 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? Victor Puentes; 2015; Related news. inspired to strive for something beyond Also, take a closer look at the Diaz family, who had seven children run for McFarland. I walk with my head up high. But thanks to the film, hes been given a new lease on life. Beyond not respecting Mr. White who they mockingly call Blanco or Homey, the boys see running cross country, a team which Jim wants to establish at McFarland despite he having no history coaching runners, as an activity of the country club set. He was, however, the seventh person on the team and still instrumental to its 1987 state title win. He takes full responsibility for that now. After high school I went to Eastern Kentucky University where I sampled a variety of majors including English teaching, police administration, and journalism before finally discovering broadcast news. And he considers Coach Whites wife, Cheryl, to be an unsung heroine of the story. PE teacher in McFarland, an economically 'Everybody in the world is going to think I'm fat and I wasn't fat.' Now that I live in Lexington, I get to do my dream job of covering the people of central and eastern Kentucky. "That's how we developed that. The family feel like they don't fit into their new community, but White has an epiphany one day when he sees his students running from their early-morning farming jobs to school: Why not channel their talents into running cross-country track? Sign up on Classmates for free to reconnect with Victor Puentes and other high school alumni. - It wasn't my fault. The best McFarland, USA quotes from a movie about the true story of the 1987 McFarland High School cross country team. 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. Diaz turned his back on those opportunities and broke the trust his community placed in him, violating the very laws he was sworn to enforce.. "We didn't really train like that.". 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. He was a baseball player, a pitcher, in high school and in college. Finally a great movie, no mayhem, no killing, no swearing, no hanging boobs..this puts some of the other lollywood trash where it belongs In the trash.. Great movie, I cried, wonderful acting and the best inspiration for our young generations!!! Kevin Costner stars in Disney's McFarland, USA, a moving film based on an inspirational true story of underdogs triumphing over tremendous obstacles. And, man, I just started crying, started crying tears of joy. He started teaching in the McFarland school district after graduating from, White did not establish the cross-country team at the school, but instead restarted it after it had been dropped for a year. Announces 2023 Boston Marathon Mens Field. Learn more about the McFarland, USA true story by watching the Jim White interview below. "McFarland's Family of Champions," are Valles, a senior, placed seventh overall and second among scorers. "I didn't really know what those sports were," Valles said. He also allegedly stole drugs that were supposed to be booked into evidence. We treated them just like our kids. " Were part of his life, Puentes says. Just two weeks before he was placed on leave, Diaz posed for photos on the red carpet at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. "We did have hills," White said. 'McFarland' Movie Helps One of Original Runners Get Back On Track, For Victor Puentes, one of the subjects of the Disney film. The McFarland athletes are farm workers before they arrive . Despite the group's insistence that Julie was protected, Jim questions his family's safety in McFarland and interviews for a full-time position at Palo Alto that he was previously offered, upsetting Julie and Thomas. 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. "She wanted to meet Danny Diaz," White said. Over the years, Puentes says he has remained close to his cross country teammates, many of whom, like himself, still live in McFarland. I didn't grow up telling my parents I loved them. children ran for Jim White and all seven I received a nice surprise today when my pal, longtime Bakersfield Californian photographer Felix Adamo, found these photos I shot of the 1987 McFarland boys cross country team. "I looked over at the reporter and I said 'We won. Wagner said he doesnt believe anyone was physically harmed by Diazs actions, but what he did put lives at risk. McFarland was that 'small' then and is still today. I dont know if it changed everybody else, but it changed me.. ", "Thomas he made a big impact on our life," White said. Thomas Valles was barely a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. He showed Valles how . 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. Athena Sanders left McFarland for college, leaving everyone she knew behind. 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. There was alcohol or drug abuse in their homes. ", "Some of the boys had never been to the ocean," White said. "But we'd try to run in the shade in the almonds," he said. Jim White restarted the program in 1980 after it had been dropped for a year. 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. "[13] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a score of 60 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Menu. Sergeant First Class - United States Army. The actor rode the pink bike, not the coach. And hes optimistic that the film will be the catalyst that helps him stay away from drugs for good. That's OK. We're doing it for our kids, we'll do it for you. Jose Cardenas, McFarland's expected No. (He had a) poor relationship with dad. Find the perfect victor puentes stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. What you don't see in the film is sixth runner Luis Partida, who was replaced on the team in McFarland USA by David Diaz, who had actually graduated in 1986.
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