![“[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 basketball loses by one point to Sacred Heart Preparatory
Team co-captain Elijah Edgehill (12) runs up to the basket, preparing to shoot the ball, as opposing defenders run after him. The varsity boys basketball team’s loss to Sacred Heart Preparatory today brings the Eagles’ league record to 3-6 and maintains the latter’s undefeated record in the league.
February 2, 2016
Varsity boys basketball lost a close league game 57-58 to the Sacred Heart Preparatory Gators at the Blackford gym today at 6:30 p.m.
The boys led the first quarter with a score of 22-12 and entered halftime at 30-29. At the end of the third quarter, the game was tied 43-43.
The team’s last league game against Sacred Heart was a 72-46 loss on Jan. 8. The Gators are currently undefeated in the league with a 9-0 record, while the loss today brings the Eagles’ record to 3-6 in the league and 11-8 overall.
Butch Keller, the head coach of boys basketball, reflected on the Eagles’ performance and his thoughts before the final quarter of the game.
“Going into the fourth quarter, I just wanted us to play as efficiently as possible and to not make mistakes—in the end, we made crucial mistakes at the last minute that cost us the game,” Keller said. “Defensively, we just need to be smarter.”
Team co-captain and point guard Rohan Desikan (12) dribbles the ball as he gestures to a teammate. The Eagles’ next game is an away league game at Pinewood High School on Friday at 8 p.m.
Senior Rohan Desikan, a point guard and co-captain of the team, spoke about the team’s weaknesses and how he felt before the game.
“We knew it would be tough but we had studied them well, so that at least gave us a better fighting chance,” Rohan said. “We stopped playing defense as strongly as we should have, like we did in the first quarter, and that’s basically how we cut our lead.”
Elijah Edgehill (12), team co-captain, also commented on the boys’ defensive tactics through the game.
“We have a pretty strong defense,” Elijah said. “Most of the time, when we got a steal, we got a defensive stop. The atmosphere in the gym just got louder and better, and these are the things that just hype the team.”
Tony Martinelli, head coach of the Sacred Heart team, discussed how the Eagles’ strategy throughout the game impacted the Gators’ plays.
“[The Eagles] hit some tough shots,” Martinelli said. “A lot of credit to how they went to the basket; they went to the basket strong, got where they wanted to go and finished on us. They built a big lead early, and we had to chip away and come back. In this game they made us work for everything they got.”
Senior Raghav Jain, who plays forward, expressed what he felt the team brought to the game in terms of both spirit and performance.
“All their games haven’t even been close, and to see that we can be within one point of a victory is amazing,” Raghav said. “We just came off a win against one of the best teams in the league, and we came back with the same energy. I think if we played [Sacred Heart] again, we would beat them, because everybody on our team played with a lot of heart.”
The boys will play an away league game against Pinewood High School on Friday at 8 p.m.
