A look at the real “McFarland USA” kids and coach Jim White

Thomas Valles, of the McFarland Cougars 1987 team, hoists the California Southern Area championship trophy. Victor Puentes is just to his left. David Diaz is behind Victor wearing a white t-shirt and McFarland hat. Jim White is to Thomas’ right and Gary Adams is to White’s right.

Coach Jim White and his wife, Cheryl, with team member Thomas Valles at the 1987 California Southern Area cross country meet at Hart Park in Bakersfield. Eliu Garza, also a McFarland High runner, is at right with the camera.

Victor Puentes (left), Thomas Valles (center) and Damacio Diaz (right) just before the start of the California Southern Area meet in 1987. Luis Partida is behind Victor and Jose Cardenas is directly behind Thomas Valles.

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. They were requested by People Magazine. This is the team featured in the movie “McFarland USA,” which opens to general release on February 20. 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 “McFarland’s never-ending heartache“  – this close-knit town deserves some good will and national love. Because Thomas Valles, McFarland’s 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. 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.

The real Thomas Valles in 1987.

This photo by Henry Barrios is from the Kern Invitational in October 1987. Thomas Valles runs in the center and Johnny Samaniego to his right. Damacio Diaz is behind them.

I also shot this photo of the 1988 team. This might be both varsity and junior varsity runners, some of the kids look pretty young. McFarland’s cross country team was a bright light for a town enduring unspeakable tragedy at the time, including the infamous child cancer cluster, the accident that killed two members of the girls team and an emerging culture of gang activity and violence.

Update, February 19, 2015: I found these additional photos from my coverage of the 1986 South Area championship at Hart Park. 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. It’s not part of the movie, but the team was, obviously, grieving and impacted deeply.

Still grieving following the deaths of Silvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez from the girls team, a parent arranged to have the boys arrive at the area championships in a limo. From left: Thomas Valles, Victor Puentes, Johnny Samaniego, Damaci0 Diaz, David Diaz, Amador Ayon and Luis Partida.

Aaron Meares (far right) and Kevin Larson, two runners from the Bakersfield High Drillers, wish the McFarland runners well before the start of the South Area championships. The gesture is in contrast to the film, which portrays McFarland’s opponents as snobby rich kids who look down on the runners. McFarland runners in this picture are (from left) David Diaz, Victor Puentes, Thomas Valles and Luis Partida.

The McFarland runners take off at the start of the South Area championships at Hart Park in Bakersfield, California on November 13, 1986.

Thomas Valles runs in the 1986 CIF South Area championships at Hart Park in Bakersfield.

Thomas Valles runs in the 1986 CIF South Area championships at Hart Park in Bakersfield.

The real 1987 California state champion McFarland Cougars. Photo provided by Dolores Plata Rodriguez. From left: Thomas Valles, Victor Puentes, Damacio Diaz, Johnny Samaniego, Jose Cardenas, Danny Diaz and Coach Jim White. Luis Partida is not pictured.

Here’s another image of the 1987 California state champion McFarland Cougars, this one provided by Jim and Susy Beltran. Bottom, from left: Thomas Valles, Danny Diaz, Victor Puentes, Jose Cardenas. Top, from left: Johnny Samaniego, Luis Partida, Damacio Diaz and Coach Jim White.

Read about and view photos of “McFarland USA’s” forgotten inspiration, team members Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez, who died in a practice accident in 1986. Without these two beautiful young ladies, there would be no “McFarland USA.” Click here.

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 “McFarland’s never-ending heartache.”

Also check out the incredibly moving real photos from the beach scene depicted in “McFarland USA” from the personal album of Silvia Diaz.