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Julio Quintana’s ‘The Long Game,’ a sports film, revolves around a high school golf team made up of young Mexican boys. The dramatized narrative charts the real-life story of The San Felipe High School golf team, The Mustangs, who compete in the 1957 Texas State High School Golf Championship and return to Del Rio with a trophy, marking a notable win for their community. The film employs on-screen counterparts of the real-life players as well as their coaches, JB Peña and Frank Mitchell. For the same reason, after witnessing the tale of triumph earned by Joe Treviño, Gene Vasquez, Felipe Romero, Lupe Felan, and Mario Lomas, fans must be curious about these individuals’ current whereabouts.
Joe Treviño Passed Away in 2014
Joe Treviño, born in San Angelo, Texas, to Jose Donaciano Treviño and Maria Luisa Jimenez, found an early fascination with the sport when he began caddying at the age of 10. At 12, his family moved to Del Rio, where he attended the San Felipe High School and continued working as a caddy. Consequently, the boy caught the attention of JB Peña and his acquaintance, golf coaches whose love for the game compelled them to aspire to take the high school golf team to newer heights. As a result, Treviño joined the golf team and went on to make history alongside his teammates, who became state champions in 1957. The man personally was also a gold individual medalist in the competition.
A year after the big win, Treviño graduated from high school and attended the Sul Ross State University for a year before changing tracks due to financial issues. As such, the man worked at the Laughlin Air Force Base civil service and moved on to California’s Travis Air Force Base by 1971. Eventually, in 1995, the man in his mid-50s retired and returned to Del Rio. In his retirement, Treviño continued enjoying the sport of golf by playing, refurbishing golf clubs, or simply providing golf lessons.
Once his story came into the public consciousness with the 2010 novel ‘Mustang Miracle’ by Humberto G. Garcia, a 2012 Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame induction followed for Treviño and his teammates. Unfortunately, the man passed away on August 6, 2014, at the age of 75, after battling congestive heart failure for two months. Today, Joe Treviño is survived by his two sons, Joe Trevino, Jr. and Daniel Trevino, as well as his two daughters, Mary Jane Fernandez and Lisa Trevino.
Gene Vasquez Passed Away in 2023
Born and raised in Del Rio, Texas, Gene Vasquez attended the San Felipe High School while working as a caddy at the Del Rio Country Club. He participated in numerous competitions with his team for the 1957 Golf season. At the time, the local Del Rio News-Herald newspaper described Vasquez’s contribution to the team in a report. “As the youngest player on the team, there were worries about whether or not Vasquez could hold up at state,” it read. “Thanks to his experienced teammates, he held his own and helped the team to victory.”
Vasquez graduated in 1960, three years after his memorable win at the 1957 Texas State High School championship as a member of the Mustangs. He attended Sul Ross University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education. Consequently, he worked as a Spanish teacher in Del Rio before venturing into a business and sales career. In 2012, Vasquez also became an inductee at the Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame.
With the development of ‘The Long Game,’ Vasquez also got to see the memorialization of himself and his team members in a Casa de la Cultura-funded Mural painted by Cris Escobar at South Main Street of Del Rio. Furthermore, he also attended the film’s screening in 2023 with his friends and family before it was released on a national level. However, shortly after, Vasquez passed away on July 30, 2023, in peace, leaving seven children, eighteen grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren in his legacy.
Felipe Romero Went on to Play Professional Golf
Much like the other members of the 1957 Mustangs, Felipe Romero also became involved with the sport of golf by caddying at the country club. At a time when their singular local Country Club didn’t allow Hispanic individuals to become members, Romero and his friends built their own personal club and christened it El Llanito. Later, Romero described his creations and those of his friends as “hard caliches” with makeshift golf holes.
Nevertheless, despite the TLC nature of their course, it helped The Mustangs hone their skills, and they eventually won the 1957 State Championship. In the same match, Romero brought home the silver medal. “Going from El Llanito to an actual golf course was like going from the desert to paradise,” Romero told Texas Monthly. Afterward, Romero became the only Mustang who pursued a professional golf career and competed in the 1980s through national and international golf tours.
Romero also attended San Antonio’s first National PGA Business School before he began working at Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority. After 29 years, Felipe Romero retired. Like Gene Vasquez, he also attended the 2023 Austin screening of ‘The Long Game.’ Currently, at the age of 84, he lives outside of Houston and is still in contact with one of his teammates, Lupe Felan. However, although Romero enjoys still dabbling in golf, his physical limitations prevent him from playing any longer.
Lupe Felan Continues to Play Golf
After earning the 1957 State Champions title, Lupe Felan’s life diverged from the golf sport as he pursued other professional roads. As a result, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, where he had a substantially lengthy career. Once he parted ways with the Corps, he started working at the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Although Felan didn’t attend the Austin screening with his other teammates, the man was in attendance at the April 9th screening of the film at the White House. According to the last known records, Felan lives in California’s Yucca Valley and continues to have a love for golf by dabbling in the sport.
Mario Lomas Passed Away in 2024
Mario Lomas had his own notable contribution to the Mustangs’ 1957 state championship win, where he earned the bronze position as an individual medalist. The man forever remembered the historic match and often regaled his friends and family with stories of the same. Afterward, he went on to caddy in the PGA Tour and sported a general love for traveling, spending time with his family, cooking, and watching sports.
On April 18, 2024, Lomas sadly passed away due to undisclosed reasons. While little is known about his personal life, he reportedly lost touch with his other two former teammates, Lupe Felan and Felipe Romero. Nevertheless, he left behind cherished memories and a legacy in his family — sons Roberto, Mark, Javier Lomas, and seven grandchildren.
Read More: The Long Game’s True Story, Explained
