![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Varsity boys soccer beats King’s Academy 4-1
Senior Kevin Moss dribbles past a King’s Academy player. The Eagles went on to win 4-1.
Following a 1-4 defeat to Sacred Heart Prep on Wednesday, the Varsity boys’ soccer team beat King’s Academy 4-1 yesterday, earning its fourth win of the season.
King’s Academy scored the first goal while the Eagles’ sophomore Oisin Coveney scored the second, ending the first half tied 1-1. Within a span of a few minutes, the Eagles quickly turned the game in their favor during the second half, with Oisin scoring the next goal and sophomore Omar Hamade scoring the final two goals.
Because the Knights played more aggressively in the first half of the game, senior Kevin Moss was put in at defense to help shut down the opposition, switching with Oisin to allow the latter to play midfield.
“In the first half, we were a lot less confident, and in the second half, we just communicated a lot better and came out with a hungry mentality, and everyone played strong and hard,” Kevin said. “Oisin and I switched because he’s better at serving balls from midfield and it opened the field up for us.”
Omar was injured by King’s Academy’s goalie shortly before halftime, resulting in bloody, scraped knees and his temporary removal from the game. Despite his injury, Omar decided to quickly return to the field.
“We always want to make sure that we have that will to want to play and will to win, and I’m glad that he was able to find his way back on the field,” head coach Shaun Tsakiris said. “That kind of tells a lot about our group and tells a lot about him, specifically where he just wants to be on the field, which is helpful.”
Omar accredits his determination to his coaches who inspired him.
“Yesterday, we had a classroom session [in which] Coach told us it’s not how well we play but how [badly] we want it,” Omar said, commenting on his return to the game. “We really [needed] to win, so I needed to come back to help the team.”
The team’s next home game will be on Thursday, Jan. 16 against Crystal Springs Uplands on Davis Field.
Alex Jang, Student Life Editor for the TALON Yearbook, is a senior this year and has been a part of journalism for three years. In his free time, he enjoys...
Kavya Ramakrishnan (12) is the managing editor of the Winged Post. This is her fourth year on staff, having previously held the positions of reporter and...