![“[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 lost against Kings Academy on Wednesday, January 5th, bringing their overall league record to 0-1.
Goalie Sumit Minocha (10) blocked at least three shots while Simar Mangat (10) had over five headers and Michael and Maximilian Quertermous (11) with multiple successful passes.
Throughout the first half of the game, the team managed to defend their goal until the end where Kings Academy scored a goal with no more than ten minutes left on the clock.
However, the second half of the game was mostly played on Kings’ side of the field as the team kept pushing forward attempting to shoot the goal to tie the game.
They now have an overall record of 0-1 in league; however, Michael Amick (10) believes it is a poor representation of the team as they are capable of much more.
“We have all the right people to be very [successful], but [we] struggle to bring everyone together on game day,” he said. “Also, injuries have hurt our team including [Andrew Perez] and Proteek [Biswas], two of our essential players.”
Comprising of juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, the Varsity boys soccer team continue to strengthen their team chemistry in practice and during the day. According to teammate Max Quertermous (11) the current members of the team improve as players on the filed: strengthening their plays and learning from their own mistakes.
“We’re one of the better teams in the league, and the main thing we need to focus on is learning to give our best performance in every game,” he said.
As they enter a competitive season, players must continue to stay motivated and eat healthy to play their best during games.
Their season progresses, playing against Sacred Heart Preparatory School on Friday, January 7th.
