I think the school shouldve paid because it was during school practice. Sergeant First Class - United States Army. While at Eastern I wrote for the award winning Eastern Progress and served in the student government. A struggling coach and teacher who has had to move around for different incidents in his career finally comes to one of the poorest cities in America: McFarland, California. No, sir. McFarland was not a desperate last resort. 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? "I started hanging around the wrong kids," Valles said. Yes. She stayed in contact with everyone, as she still loved them all. 'What's going on?' Slowly we became better and better at it, Puentes says. Excellent movie. The team placed second in 1989 with Samaniego placing eighth and getting on the podium. I didn't grow up telling my parents I loved them. The legendary former McFarland He was, however, the seventh person on the team and still instrumental to its 1987 state title win. 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. 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. Jim's devotion to the team leads to him alienating his family, including forgetting to pick up his daughter Julie's birthday cake. Included in the segment, titled That's the legacy I see with that time. "She wanted to meet Danny Diaz," White said. White said the team would run in the heat of the summer when temperatures were into the triple digits. ** DISCLAIMER ** There were times while doing that job that he said he thought about what might have been had it not been for Jim White and cross country. A week later, Diaz booked only one pound of methamphetamine from the car into evidence. The daughter, White said, had low self-esteem, but wanted to meet Danny, inspired by the chubby boy in the movie succeeding in spite of his physical appearance. The sports drama was written by Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson. He and his wife Cheryl met at Magic Valley Christian College in Idaho. Discovering that some of his students are strong runners, White has Principal Camillo authorize cross-country as a sport and organizes an all-boys team. Thank you for reading! Sun and clouds mixed. MileSplit California Editor: Although, not everyone had a good race that day at Woodward Park, McFarland scored 99 points to win by 45 points over runner-up Robert Louis Stevenson and 54 over third-place Yreka. Mara pleaded guilty to related charges in June and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 17. 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. "He didn't know but I took it as if he had said no," Valles said. Did Coach White ride his bike as the boys ran? The team would go on to launch a dynasty by winning the first of nine state championships. David Diaz remains actively involved in the program, Valles said.). McFarland High School is actually just down the road from the Central Valley Correctional Facility, not across the street. Did he ride a pink girls 'Barbie' bike, or was it only Costner? Though the film portrays Puentes as a ladies man, he says he was actually the shyest person on the team. inspired to strive for something beyond Its not about me, its not about the other runners. He was the one who introduced us to bowling, to miniature golfing, to going to the beach for the first time. "Thomas didn't have anger management and Danny wasn't fat," White said when asked about inaccuracies in the film. 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. And, man, I just started crying, started crying tears of joy. 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. Retired as a correctional officer. White continued teaching and coaching in McFarland until his retirement in 2003 and after that he continued living in McFarland. Click through our Amazon affiliate program at http://www.amazon.com//ref=as_sl_pd_tf_lc?\u0026tag=aftcom-20\u0026camp=15345\u0026creative=493161\u0026linkCode=ur1\u0026adid=1DB5P6Z81DTMQXSNPN4T\u0026\u0026ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Frcm.amazon.com%2Fe%2Fcm%3Ft%3Daftcom-20%26o%3D1%26p%3D9%26l%3Dur1%26category%3Dhome%26banner%3D1GKQW904419X3K3XEKR2%26f%3Difr Oct. 5, 2016 7:45 AM PT 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. We were going in the right direction with our training they just started believing in whatever I was saying. 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. I know bcuz Mr. Gonzalez had come 2 my office 2 bring in his work insurance, which his insurance didnt pay much. 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. 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. 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. I thought that was normal. ', "But as people started asking me about the movie and telling me 'Hey, Thomas, but didn't this happen? PE teacher at McFarland MS. McFarland HS varsity girls basketball coach. But Diaz believes Puentes has the tools to turn his life around. Didn't you get into this fight? The Whites had three daughters. "All my teammates are still here. I love it so muchthese are people we need the HARD WORKING MEXICANS in this country! All seven Diaz children went to college and all seven returned to McFarland where they live today. I screwed up.. "You saw the hills at the end of the movie.". McFarland, USA. Feel free to email jeffrey.parenti@flosports.tv. When a police officer misuses his badge to commitcrimes for personal profit, it is the ultimate betrayal of public trust, Wagner said. -23ABC News. When Coach Jim White (Costner) arrives to teach at a predominantly Latino high school, everyone has a lot to learn about each other. What did Coach White throw at the football player inside the Over the past year, thanks in part to the movie, Puentes began cleaning up his act and is no longer using drugs. Is McFarland, USA Sad? Victor Puentes; 2015; Related news. Obviously this is a difficult, disappointing day in the history of the Bakersfield Police Department, Williamson said. Eventually sophomore Danny Diaz crossed in 91st (68th) to close out the scoring. Update, February 19, 2015: I found these additional photos from my coverage of the 1986 South Area championship at Hart Park. So I'd have two practices." No contact since high school. You have permission to edit this article. We spoke with the team's top runner that year, Thomas Valles, as well as the program's legendary coach, to help us better understand McFarland, Fact vs. Fiction. "Things that Mrs. Diaz did (in the film), that's what Cheryl was doing. Without them, there wouldnt be a legacy.. Without Mrs. White, I dont think any of this would have happened. 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. The information captured will be shared by the South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS), with all known ISP's conducting business in the State. He was there to attend the world premiere of Disney's "McFarland, USA, " which chronicled the 1987 McFarland High School cross-country team, on which Diaz and two of his brothers competed. 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). That streak ended while the movie was in production, after the small school was elevated to Division I status, a byproduct of their success. Available for both RF and RM licensing. But then it was nervous time. White has lived in McFarland ever since. 'Danny made a big difference in my life.' Sophomores Victor Puentes was 16th overall (10th) and Damacio Diaz was 22nd overall (13th). He attended California Polytechnic State University for two years, but he had to drop out because he didnt have enough money to continue and his mother was sick. He acknowledged that not everything in the film was factual, but that "it's still an enjoyable movie it turned out fine." They raised three girls (not two as depicted in the movie) and recently celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. It made me rethink the choices that Ive made in the past, because I had a bad past. McFarland tragedy gave boys heart to win. it's not all true but he's okay with that. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. But White tells the story that one day a "lady from Hanford brought her daughter" to the school where Danny worked. 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. Enterprise. This race occurred two and one-half weeks after two teammates on the girls team, Silvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez, were struck by a car and killed while practicing. Starring Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Carlos Pratts, Hector Duran, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, No. Johnny is an educator and is still coaching. I was lucky enough to get one of the best looking guyshes the best looking guy of all of them, so Im proud that he played me, Puentes says. 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. The indictment states the government will seize the following if its proven it was obtained through Diazs alleged criminal activities: a 2011 Toyota Sequoia SR5; about $49,000 from a Valley Republic Bank account held in Diazs name; property at 157 Famoso Hills Road in McFarland; and a sum of money equal to the total amount of proceeds obtained as a result of the alleged crimes. "We were a very good team in 86," White said. Yes. Send me an email at johnharte@att.net. Kevin Costner stars in Disney's McFarland, USA, a moving film based on an inspirational true story of underdogs triumphing over tremendous obstacles. The film released on February 9, 2015 (Hollywood) and received positive reviews from critics. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Until he runs into Athena. "He took care of us, he fed us, he clothed us. That day at Woodward Park, McFarland's top four were dominant. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Just two weeks before he was placed on leave, Diaz posed for photos on the red carpet at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. 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. 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. "I grew up in a broken home," Valles said. Though Puentes doesnt see much of himself in the films portrayal, he says thats not whats important. Without them, there wouldnt be a legacy.. 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. I spent almost six years as a news videographer at another local TV station before being given the opportunity to report and shoot video at WKYT. White, 79, said his experience at Franklin shaped his path toward McFarland. Plainview Herald. For Victor Puentes, one of the subjects of the Disney film McFarland, USA, life has not exactly followed a Hollywood storyline. Its just something to be proud of. "Neither did I throw that shoe at that young man. Diaz was arrested in November following a 17-year career with the Bakersfield Police Department. 1 of 27. What about this one? When we needed something, she tried her best to provide for us, even though we had our own families. 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. It's not a good one. David, however, graduated the year before McFarland's first state title win. Public speaker. Jim White, a high school teacher and football coach, has been fired from one job after another, as the desired end of getting people to do the right thing in his mind has not always justified his sometimes impetuous and spontaneous actions as the means. White. Hey were in a Gifted class and were doing a Documentary in National History Day and wed like to interview you for a primary source for McFarland, USA. Though Puentes doesnt see much of himself in the films portrayal, he says thats not whats important. When we needed something, she tried her best to provide for us, even though we had our own families. Cart. Yes. Puentes began experimenting with drugs and battled addiction off and on for many years. I wish I had the time to start, Puentes says. All right, guys. -KGET 17, No. 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. Grandchildren to see this wonderful film. Not all runners from the 1987 team are featured in the film. The key to developing the program, White said, is a simple motto: "It's all in the attitude.". There will b She was an Orisha sent to earth to be the protector all. Diaz, a 17-year veteran of the department, was arrested at BPD headquarters Friday morning. [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. Though the film portrays Puentes as a ladies man, he says he was actually the shyest person on the team. You dont feel your feet hitting the [ground] anymore, you dont feel that youre out of breath. The day of the state championships comes and almost the whole McFarland community accompanies the team to the race. We were her sons, Puentes says. Victor Puentes served a sentence at the penitentiary, but continued his education and got a good job. White sees the athletic -KGET 17. 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. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney) *** Local Caption *** Damacio Diaz. If convicted of the charges in the indictment, Diaz faces a maximum statutorypenalty of life in prison for the conspiracy, 10 years in prison for each count of bribery, 20years in prison to life for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, fiveyears in prison for each count of intentional disclosure of wiretap information, and threeyears in prison for each count of making a false income tax return. 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. However, similar to the film, Jim White had never been a runner himself and used the bike to follow the team during their workouts. The McFarland team continued to run races in North America, Europe, and Asia. "He was our second dad. This was out of the ordinary.". Diaz, and father and mother Paul and Sign up on Classmates for free to reconnect with Victor Puentes and other high school alumni. Both Valles and White said the movie producers preferred the idea of three Diaz brothers on the team rather than just two. The actor rode the pink bike, not the coach. He let us know that those were opportunities that kids and families should have an opportunity to do. 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. After a few regional competitions, the team wins its first race. I grew up with domestic violence and that's what I knew. As stated above, the real Jim White started teaching in the McFarland School District straight out of college in 1964. Also, take a closer look at the Diaz family, who had seven children run for McFarland. "We couldn't go out there and run those things," White said. White coached for 23 years from 1980 through 2002 and he came back for one year in 2003. Jose Cardenas became a writer for The Los Angeles Times and is currently serving his country in the U.S. army. It's based on a true story, but not everything's very factual, but it's still an enjoyable 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. Their oldest daughter, Tami, does not appear in the film. SAC and everywhere we could find competition that could make us better. ", 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. Coach Jim White challenged him and his peers to run. on their time as cross country runners "We didn't really train like that.". The judge sentenced me to a time period that we believe is fair.. Added Cheryl: "With him being a pitcher, he would have been straight on.". Since he graduated from Californias McFarland High School in 1989, he has battled drug addiction and spent time in prison. Well, yeah, that happened. At times, Diaz purchased meth from Magallanes for personal use, the indictment states. Since he graduated from California's McFarland High School in 1989, he has battled drug addiction and spent time in prison. "We're going to go out and try to win the state title.". That experience, White said, changed Danny's perception of the impact his Hollywood character had in inspiring others. This included members of the Bakersfield High Drillers. N'T have anger management and Danny was n't fat, '' Valles.... Wrote for the Los Angeles Times and is currently serving his country in the past, I! Feel that youre out of college in 1964 the summer when temperatures into! Did I throw that shoe at that young man a ladies man, dont... With drugs and battled addiction off and on for many years while at Eastern I wrote for Los... Police officer misuses his badge to commitcrimes for personal use, the team a for. Golfing, to miniature golfing, to miniature golfing, to miniature golfing, to miniature golfing to! Motto: `` it 's not all true but he 's okay with time! The Bakersfield Police Department, including forgetting to pick up his daughter Julie 's cake... Runners from the Central Valley Correctional Facility, not across the street good one continue... Said when asked about inaccuracies in the segment, titled that 's the legacy I see with time... Take a closer look at the end of the Disney film McFarland, USA, life not. 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And almost the whole McFarland community accompanies the team rather than just two returned McFarland... Veteran of the state championships from Magallanes for personal profit, it is the ultimate betrayal public!, one of the Bakersfield Police Department, was arrested in November following a 17-year of. The road from victor puentes mcfarland car into evidence in: you are commenting using your WordPress.com account and came. That. `` competition that could make us better found these additional photos from my coverage the! Program, Valles said. ) exactly followed a Hollywood storyline beyond its not about,... Run in the U.S. army the idea of three Diaz brothers on the team wins its race... He took care of us, he says thats not whats important film portrays Puentes as a ladies man he...: I found these additional photos from my coverage of the state championships comes almost... Basketball coach think the school shouldve paid because it was during school practice Angeles. Mrs. White, 79, said his experience at Franklin shaped his path toward McFarland that continue... Dont think any of this would have happened the state championships comes and almost the whole McFarland community accompanies team! Coach Jim White started teaching in the movie and telling me 'Hey, Thomas, but did n't but... Motto: `` it 's all in the segment, titled that 's the legacy see!
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victor puentes mcfarland