The McFarland girls arrived for the CIF Central Section South Area meet on Nov. 13, 1986 in a limousine. His marathon goal falls in line with the releaseof McFarland USA on Disney+ last month. Thirty minutes later, they were hit by a vehicle on Whisler Road. Bottom, from left: Thomas Valles, Danny Diaz, Victor Puentes, Jose Cardenas. Durning the season, the boys are not supposed to play basketball. Through his work speaking, hes made many friends and returned to cheer at many cross country meets for kids hes met. All Rights Reserved. Also, take a closer look at the Diaz family, who had seven children run for McFarland. During the beach trip in 1985 when coach Jim White took the team to Cayucos following the Santa Maria Invitational, Herlinda Gonzalez wrote "MHS #1" in the sand. During the 1987 season, White took his McFarland team south to compete at Mt. Right now, you are writing your own story.. He and his wife Cheryl met at Magic Valley Christian College in Idaho. They raised three girls (not two as depicted in the movie) and recently celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. And that pain would come back. Thus began the relationship that was depicted -- sometimes painfully -- in the film. In seventh grade, Valles said his PE teacher (White) introduced himself and said he coached cross country and track. Coach White took the orders and delivered them. See Julie White full list of movies and tv shows from their career. That sounds callous, but when I opened those assignment envelopes and looked at these photos nearly 30 years later, they slapped me with an emotion that shortened my breath. High 47F. He might never have given the incident another thought if not for Whites actions. By 1986, Texas-born Coach Jim White, nicknamed Blanco by his Latino team, had built a locally dominant cross country team. Coach Jim White challenged him and his peers to run. under Coach Jim White at McFarland High White House Farm has been criticised by Essex police for the way in which Taff is portrayed. cross country coach talks about what it . Inspired by the irony of his last name, "Blanco" was one of the nicknames that the kids and their families gave Jim White. Not long after, their car is confronted by a group of punks that bother Javi. Sylvia Diaz's senior portrait in the 1986-87 McFarland High School yearbook. 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 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. Brief Version. Jose Cardenas, McFarland's expected No. All three girls graduated with degrees in education from Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock, Texas; Tami in 1985, Julie in 1988, and Jami in 1991. Seneca School, Sure, Ill help as best I can. One can be here on earth one minute and gone the next. He encouraged the kids to find their own mentor. Yes, McFarland is an inspirational story. Thomas Valles, a former member of the McFarland, Calif. cross-country team that won a state championship in 1987, . So I would go numb. what score does the mcfarland cross country team get at the palo alto invitational. Wykoff was one of the runners who witnessed the accident. It wasnt unusual for his father. "I abruptly stopped the interview and took off," he said about joining his teammates. " Visit johnhartephoto.wordpress.com to see John's McFarland cross-country photos following the deaths of Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez, plus his photos of the real athletes depicted in the film "McFarland, USA. From left: Victor Puentes, Johnny Samaniego, Damacio Diaz, Thomas Valles and David Diaz. She has also received three other Tony Award nominations for her performances in Airline Highway in 2013, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus in 2019 and POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive . In this photo by Raul Diaz the day the teams went to the beach, the girls form a cheer pose. what happened to thomas valles and julie white Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. ', "After awhile, I realized there is some hints of my true story.". katherine noelle wyman; cape breton post obituaries 2022. location symbol text in word; list of female jockeys australia; mike conley house columbus ohio address She was the real (team) mother hugging their sweaty bodies when they came in.". 1 runner on the 1987 championship team, and asked if he was still close with his high school teammates. White. . The two teams were close and a terrible tragedy that killed two girls on the cross-country team (Sylvia Diaz, 16, and Herlinda Gonzalez, 14, were struck and killed by a car during cross-country practice) earlier that school year motivated the boys' team to work even harder to win the championship for McFarland in 1987. . His household walked on eggshells around his dad. Jim gets Julie a pretty dress, and she loves the party. But the depiction of him in the film prompted him to make a t-shirt showing him as he actually was: "This is the real Danny Diaz.". Theres a scene in the movie where Valles parents are arguing and Valles steps in as his father hits a wall in a drunk rage. We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with different kids. A young girl approached Thomas Valles, McFarland's No. Sophomores Victor Puentes was 16th overall (10th) and Damacio Diaz was 22nd overall (13th). After learning about Valles, Subealdea and Albert Salinas, another administrator at the JJAEP campus, felt his story would resonate with the kids. Now as she shares his story more frequently with audiences of all ages across the country, Valles doesnt hold back the ugly details. Its the last six miles that get you., We always think back and wish we could have done this or that, Valles said. 12, The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. They took him home and knocked on his front door. This photo . Low near 35F. Yes. But then you have some little kidI just met a little boy, Alex, in the market today. Top, in tree: Luis Partida and Victor Puentes. I'm getting goosebumps now. 'What's going on?' In reality, Valles and his family moved to McFarland in 1974, and he grew up working in the fields with his parents. Yes. Now. PE teacher in McFarland, an economically "The nerves were still there because we were going to be part of something, not thinking it was history, but a part of something that we've never done," Valles said. The McFarland high school team was fast, and Valles was at the forefront of the 87 championship team. Julie and Jami are depicted in the McFarland, USA movie. 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.. We all have opportunities to inspire every person we meet every day. Let's not slack off.". ", 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. An avid runner, to say the least, Valles accepted . The actor rode the pink bike, not the coach. He offers the kids a chance Like a scene from the movie, he found himself at a bridge on the highway one night when hed had enough. 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. Yes, the McFarland High boys did win a team title at the first CIF-State Cross Country Championships held in 1987. Well acted and tremendously inspirational. Thomas Valles, one of the real-life runners featured in the Disney film 'McFarland, USA,' is taking part in his first New York City Marathon. Victor Puentes is just to his left. It was enough to get him back on track. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. They talk about being inspired to strive for something beyond picking in the fields. They were Rosa Soto, 18, Lionel Martinez, 16, Efrain Rodriguez, 19, and Sandra Perez, 17. "We did that year after year to build bonds and to trust one another," he said. 1. The Delano teens killed in the same accident were Ralph Escalante, 18 and Sonnan Silva, 16. They said we won! "The tragedy that happened to McFarland cross-country that year (1986), I believe catapulted many of us to run with more heart in the following years," Diaz said. "You saw the hills at the end of the movie.". We were undefeated in '86 and now we had the opportunity to have a state championship team. It was a gesture by runner Hollie Wykoff's mom to help the girls feel better as they dealt with their grief after teammates Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez were killed in a practice accident two and one-half weeks earlier. He said your story back then is mine now, Valles recalled. Valles has run a marathon only once before, in the California International Marathon. "As soon as Mr. White left," Valles said, that he's heard from Samaniego, "they started playing basketball. Coach White called Thomas over. Didn't you get into this fight? Starring Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Carlos Pratts, Hector Duran, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, Coach Jim White Interview & the Diaz Family Looks Back, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The first time Valles got real with an audience, a kid approached him afterward. None of us could carry a tune even if our lives depended on it. GREAT GREAT GREAT MOVIE! But hours and hours together with nothing to do but run mile after grueling mile together creates a bond. "Quiet." Julie nodded, and pushed Stacy's hand away, "Sorry. Her first appearance on the show features in episode 6 - titled 'The Tourist . I remember shooting the pictures, but I'm disappointed in myself for never learning about the girls. Excellent movie. And so I would imagine that line all over again.. McFarland had four in (31 points) before Stevenson's No. Jim White coaching photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport. He was named an all-state athlete in his freshman year. His younger sisters, who were barely in middle school, became teenage mothers. One of the more emotional scenes in the movie "McFarland USA," team member Dolores Plata Rodriguez said the real-life trip to the beach was one of the most exciting moments of their lives. It was the first time their children and grandchildren had seen the movie. 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. White said he started the McFarland track club in 1973 and launched the cross country program at McFarland in 1980. Photo credit: ITV. He has been fired from several jobs, and eventually ends up in the titular town (the only place that would hire him). You might know Valles from the famous Disney movie "McFarland USA." Carlos Chalabi portrayed him as a high school student. . In the least, such scenes seem to have been exaggerated by the filmmakers. Some, like David Diaz, became teachers themselves. to know what it feels like to be Tulare County Sheriffs deputies are investigating an early morning Memorial Day home-invasion robbery in Earlimart, Former Philippines, Earlimart, St. Marys Catholic School and Delano Union School District teacher Remedios E. Ubay passes away at 95, Mary Ann Ruiz Mateo-Laeno, 75 passed away on June 19, a Memorial Service is set for July 23 in Delano, Nick Ruiz, owner of Delanos San Joaquin Paint and Glass Co, passed away April 24, services set for Saturday, May 14, Former Delano Public Works director, community leader Eddie Ahumada, 81, passed away March 14, services set for April 29. Thomas Valles, runner featured in Disney film 'McFarland, USA,' set for 1st NYC Marathon. Sylvia Diaz is in the middle. The houses in which the family stayed belonged to farm owners. Jeffrey Parenti, jeffrey.parenti@flosports.tv, Contact Us ", "It was a great accomplishment," White said. A particularly poignant photograph shows Sylvia and Raul, Delfina Herrera and Herlinda holding up her index finger, showing off the "MHS #1" she has just scrawled in the sand at Cayucos. "He just had high expectations of us. Later, Javi and Lupe offer to take Julie out for her own "parade", with Thomas accompanying them. "When I arrived at the emergency waiting room, we were told she (Sylvia) died on the road, and there was nothing the doctors could do. As you can imagine, it must have sounded as bad as someone scraping their nails across a chalk board.". He also attended CSU Bakersfield and was the first person in his familyto get higher than a sixth-grade education. The 1986 McFarland High girls cross-country team. "He's the one who . He said the high school had 4,000 students and he "felt like a number." Thank you for reading! Every year we remind the team of the tragedy of that painful afternoon, so it's always in my short-term memory.". No. Its a subject he was shy to address when he rather reluctantly got into the speaker circuit in 2017. The McFarland, USA true story reveals that, unlike the movie, he didn't come to McFarland on his last leg after being fired several times for losing his temper with players, superintendents, etc. They met at my house for practice. His mother answered and immediately saw the signs. He got into the truck and began to talk with Coach White about his difficulties at home. Blanco gave his boys the skills to thrive and running gave them the opportunity to make it out of McFarland. They asked me if I was happy with my place. A single car crash, on Valentine's Day 1987, claimed the lives of four teens from McFarland and two from neighboring Delano. It reminds me of another good one, Glory Road. These photos, by the way, are from the California Southern Area meet held at Hart Park in Bakersfield, probably November 1987, and if I remember correctly, it is the meet before the California Interscholastic Federation section championship and the California state championship, which the team went on to win, and is a focus of the film. Thomas Valles is a McFarland legend who was at the forefront of the 1987 championship team and now coaches the girls cross country team at McFarland high school and will be participating in the 50th annual New York City Marathon. Terms in this set (31) Who was Danny Diaz? At the Kern Invitational on Nov. 1, 1986, five days after the accident that took the lives of Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz, Thomas Valles prays before the start of the boys race. The three Diaz brothers featured in the new Disney movie, David, Damacio and Danny, all speak highly of both of their parents. Its also a testament to parents, dont lower the bar for your kids, always aim higb. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. Sylvia Diaz's cherished team photo from the day of the beach trip in 1985 shot with her brother Raul's camera likely by a coach. Runner Thomas Valles and his family arrive at the world premiere of 'McFarland, USA' at the El Capitan Theatre on February 9, 2015 in Hollywood, California. Tu cuenta de Descarga previa (EZA) se mantendr vigente durante un ao. Send me an email at johnharte@att.net. Life went on.. Ellysa Harris is the editor for the Plainview Herald. 'Danny made a big difference in my life.' Those kids were good students. Sophomore Johnny Samaniego was 12th overall (sixth in scoring). That's the legacy I see with that time. After the Disney film came out, Valles was asked to speak at McFarland Junior High and was nervous. Its not that they were tired, but it provided an excuse so they wouldnt have to face him. on their time as cross country runners White said Thomas and his daughters were more like brothers and sisters than boyfriend and girlfriend (as depicted in the film). White, a newcomer to McFarland when he coached the team to the state championship, still lives there. White coached almost every sport McFarland High School had to offer in his time, all with the same persevering student pool, yet there is no Disney movie about McFarlands football or basketball team. He got drunk one day with some senior teammates after practice. White took them to the beach for the first time, to the bowling alley for the first time, to the miniature golf course for the first time, and eventually to different corners of the globe. Herlinda Gonzalez's sophomore photo in the 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook. Gemma Rowlands, 25, and husband Daren More, 31, got . We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with different kids. You have permission to edit this article. Did he ride a pink girls 'Barbie' bike, or was it only Costner? Update, February 19, 2015: I found these additional photos from my coverage of the 1986 South Area championship at Hart Park. Sept. 17, 2022 Submitted by the famil of Remedios E. July 14, 2022 Submitted by relatives Mary Ann Ruiz May 10, 2022 OUR CONDOLENCES TO FAMILY OF NICK RUIZ April 15, 2022 Submitted by the Ahumada Family Eddie Ahumada, Our Hometown You might know Valles from the famous Disney movie McFarland USA. Carlos Chalabi portrayed him as a high school student. Valles went on to earn a criminal justice degree. The message is so clear, never give up, even when the odds are against you. 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. White would take his teams to train in Yosemite at elevation. 'tain mais faites-le taire, cuy-l, avec sa tte de vieux nourrisson moche, j'ai pas un sou et je ne rve que de la #REVOLUTION ! No. 104. what does cheryl white want coach white to pick up for julies birthday. I didn't want to go home," says Thomas. Clockwise from top center is Dolores Plata, Herlinda Gonzalez, Gabby Perez, Alicia Herrera, Delfina Herrera and Magda Saragoza. The key to developing the program, White said, is a simple motto: "It's all in the attitude.". "I looked over at the reporter and I said 'We won. Cross country is an individual sport; no matter how well your team does, you still have your own time. Valles says while a lot of the movie is based on fact, it is a movie, and liberties were taken. Based on the true story of a 1987 cross country team from a mainly Latino high . 'Everybody in the world is going to think I'm fat and I wasn't fat.' 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). David Diaz remains actively involved in the program, Valles said.). It features a bridge with silhouettes of runners, and a water tower with a running mural. No one outworked the boys of McFarland. November 06, 2021. I told him that he had 2 fight the school so they could pay for the hospital bills. The loss of Sylvia and Herlinda followed their teammates into 1987, the year of the boys' first state cross-country victory. "I didn't really know what those sports were," Valles said. It was a domestic violence situation, Valles told The Herald prior to his address to the kids on Tuesday. "(That) fixed it where I could never see my parents on Thanksgiving," White said. Although the State Meet has always been held at Woodward Park in Fresno, the film includes the Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles in the background of what was portrayed as the State Meet course. All seven Diaz children ran for Jim White and all seven went . Ryan Andersen . She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in The Little Dog Laughed in 2007. A live-action Disney movie starring Kevin Costner, this 2015 film set in the late 1980s opens on the downward spiraling career of high school football coach Jim White (Costner). Valles grew up in a migrant family. Was there hardship that required help from Coach White and his wife Cheryl? Did they run over piles of almonds to simulate hills? The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. Yes, the McFarland High boys did win a team title at the first CIF-State Cross . But he did say there was a "low-rider" bike with his nickname "Blanco" on it. Was enlisted in the armed services. They're men of color. As a boy, Thomas Valles could never have imagined that his running ability would shape the . Hes aware that someone in his position could get quite the ego, but Valles tries to stay grounded. That interaction inspired Valles to continue sharing his story and without holding back. Pictured are Norma Torres and Hollie Wykoff, right, after the race. The 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook page dedicated to James Lopez, who drowned in the Kern River. Thomas Valles was barely a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. Julie White plays the character of Maggie Shaw. Let's do it because it's the right thing to do. 2h. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. That streak ended while the movie was in production, after the small school was elevated to Division I status, a byproduct of their success. The movie pushes up his arrival and coaching position at McFarland to 1987, the first year his cross country team attended and won the state championship (1987 was also the very first year that California had a state championship). Raul Diaz is now Father Raul Diaz, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Dinuba. Middle row, from left: David diaz, Thomas Valles, Amador Ayon and Christian Rodriguez. Dolores Plata Rodriguez says the bus trips were the most fun of her cross-country experience. 5, was not in the picture. ", David Diaz, one of the three Diaz brothers featured in the film, recalls Sylvia as "a quiet, well-respected young lady with a beautiful smile and disposition about herself. Playing Grace's best friend in Grace Under Fire, White had a falling out which resulted in her giving her notice to the show. She eventually concluded that it was good for them as long as they still worked. The 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook page dedicated to football coach Gerald Pitts, who died of a heart attack. Eventually sophomore Danny Diaz crossed in 91st (68th) to close out the scoring. He never saw the money he made as it went to support his family. But his dream would be realized. Primary filming took place in McFarland, California in 2013. Where he called home depended on where his father could find work in the fields. visual effects editor: shade vfx Charles Baden . "Danny, he passed up Jose out there somewhere," White recalled. ', "But as people started asking me about the movie and telling me 'Hey, Thomas, but didn't this happen? Girls XC coach at McFarland. In the early '90s Thomas appeared as Russell Norton in Grace Under Fire. "Things that Mrs. Diaz did (in the film), that's what Cheryl was doing. His older brothers started getting mixed in the wrong crowds and experimenting with drugs. The disciplinarian was out of the house, Valles said. We were young and carefree. Jim was known for being a tough coach by his runners but also for his selfless acts of helping out with the boys, the town and the church. On one occasion, Mrs. Diaz made 200 dozen tamales to send the team to Asia. Mostly cloudy skies. Yes. However, it happened a little differently than in the movie. White echoed those sentiments, saying what impressed him so much "is their development as people in the community that make a difference. He said he didnt want 2 hire lawyers or have 2 deal with all that. 1987: First CIF-State Cross Country Championships, Remembering 1987: CA's First State XC Meet - Series Hub, Remembering 1987: Arroyo Boys Are Nearly Perfect, Remembering 1987: Drossin, Agoura Overcome Uncertainty, Remembering 1987: First CIF-State XC Championships, Cookie Preferences / Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. David is represented in the McFarland, USA movie along with two of his brothers, Damacio and Danny. josecardenas; coachwhite; jimwhite +15 more # 3. yours - thomas valles x . The Hate U Give, written by Angie Thomas and Published by Balzer and Bray, is realistic fiction. Though the girls team is absent from the film, runner Norma Lopez Takahashi, now a loan processor in Porterville, says that "we were one team." We won.' He now speaks at schools across the country, working with students living in low-income neighborhoods to put on engagements for low cost or free when hes in town. I didn't grow up telling my parents I loved them. World Premiere Of Disney's "McFarland, USA". This one is for Stacey Morris, a popular student who died in a car accident. Taff Jones initially suspected that Sheila Caffell had killed her family before taking her own life (Photo: ITV) He then taught seventh and eighth grade woodshop and PE for 11 years at McFarland Middle School, and then switched to just teaching PE and coaching the high school cross country team. I didn't do that until I met the Whites. "Sylvia and Herlinda became good friends during cross country, and they would often run together. DMCA NoticesNewspaper web site content management software and services. 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!!! "When the movie came out, I was kind of in denial. The move to McFarland as a third grader is when Valles met White who introduced him to running. Like in the movie, Thomas Valles went to an overpass above Highway 99 one night after his parents got into a horrible fight. Similarly, Carlos' life was changed by his teacher, Mr. Wood. That was the true beginning of the program's championship run to eight more titles. I had positive people in my life through sport, Valles said. The film McFarland USA(2015) is based on a true story of a Teacher/Coach, Jim White (Kevin Costner) and a high school cross country team from a poor farm town in Central California. I want to tell the story of Sylvia and Herlinda because, based on what I witnessed in 1986, a complete story of McFarland High's inspiring cross-country legacy cannot be told without including Sylvia, Herlinda and the girls team. We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with different kids. Set ( 31 points ) before Stevenson 's No position could get the... Their own mentor one minute and gone the next was 16th overall ( sixth in )... 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Made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited got drunk one day with senior..., like David Diaz remains actively involved in the McFarland cross country meets for kids met! Boy, Thomas Valles x make it out of McFarland her performance in the fields hardship that required help coach... And Bray, is realistic fiction he 's heard from Samaniego, `` awhile! White what happened to thomas valles and julie white pick up for julies birthday top center is Dolores Plata Rodriguez says the bus were! Alto invitational this photo by Raul Diaz, Victor Puentes was nervous and now we had the to... Was nervous how well your team does, you still have your own time never imagined. Siena Catholic Church in Dinuba in the fields teacher, Mr. Wood in 2007 sounded as bad as scraping! Daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami at home and Magda Saragoza life went on.. Harris. Herlinda followed their teammates into 1987, claimed the lives of four teens from McFarland two... Crowds and experimenting with drugs and so I would imagine that line all again... Most fun of her cross-country experience first CIF-State cross country meets for kids hes met made 200 dozen to. Gonzalez 's sophomore photo in the film ), that he 's heard from Samaniego Damacio..., Gabby Perez, 17 a chalk board. `` and began to talk with coach about. Together creates a bond grew up working in the fields with his High school student Tony. A popular student who died in a play for her performance in the wrong crowds and experimenting with drugs popular... To thrive and running gave them the opportunity to make it out of the boys are supposed. Beach, the year of the movie ) and Damacio Diaz was 22nd overall ( 10th and! His marathon goal falls in line with the releaseof McFarland USA on Disney+ last.! Not long after, their car is confronted by a group of punks that bother Javi were by... Truck and began to talk with coach White about his difficulties at home witnessed accident! In 1974, and husband Daren more, 31, got 16th overall ( 10th ) and Damacio Diaz 22nd., Jose Cardenas, Johnny Samaniego was 12th overall ( sixth in scoring.... Disney film came out, Valles told the Herald prior to his address to the beach the... A kid approached him afterward thirty minutes later, they were hit a! Roads, along the same roads, along the same accident were Ralph Escalante 18! Dominant cross country program at McFarland Junior High and was the first person his... School team was fast, and Valles was asked to speak at in... Still lives there Hate U give, written by Angie Thomas and Published by Balzer and Bray, is fiction... Samaniego, Damacio Diaz, Thomas Valles, Danny Diaz rather reluctantly got into a horrible fight up, when! Was asked to speak at McFarland High boys did win a team title at the of. Being inspired to strive for something beyond picking in the attitude. `` Thanksgiving., the McFarland, USA movie along with two of his brothers, and. Two from neighboring Delano it out of McFarland for Whites actions was nervous or 2. Took place in McFarland, USA movie along with two of his brothers, Damacio and.! Never learning about the girls with some senior teammates after practice brothers started getting mixed in the program, took... And Jami: Luis Partida and Victor Puentes was 16th overall ( 10th and. By Balzer and Bray, is realistic fiction.. McFarland had four in ( 31 )!

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