![“[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 football team defeats Yerba Buena Warriors in first game of season
Harker cheerleaders deliver a cheer early in the first quarter. The Eagles won against the Warriors 21-14.
August 27, 2016
The varsity football team won its first game of the season 21-14 against the Yerba Buena Warriors last night at Yerba Buena High School.
The Eagles entered halftime down 0-7 but made a comeback early in the third quarter when wide receiver Anthony Contreras (11) received a pass from quarterback Nate Kelly (11) and rushed for Harker’s first touchdown.
“I just outran my opponent, and then I caught the ball and scored,” Anthony said. “I’m more of a calm, mellow guy, so when I scored I acted as if it wasn’t the first time. I just gave the ball back to the referee and hoped that I could score again.”
With seven minutes left in the third quarter, Nate scored the Eagles’ second touchdown and ran the ball in for a successful two-point conversion. Early in the final quarter, the Warriors’ quarterback rushed for a second touchdown, tying the game at 14-14 with seven minutes remaining.
With three minutes and 35 seconds left, the Warriors fumbled the ball and Harker regained possession. This turned out to be a pivotal moment in the game as, with thirty seconds remaining, Nate drove the ball down from the fifteen yard line and scored Harker’s final touchdown. Kicker Kailee Gifford’s (12) kick was successful and Harker sealed its victory with a 21-14 lead.
A competitive club soccer player and a member of last year’s varsity girls’ basketball team, Kailee joined the football team this season and the Yerba Buena game was the first of her football career.
“[Football] is really exciting and unlike any other sport I’ve played- basketball and soccer. The dynamic is so different, but it’s really fun,” Kailee said.
The win was an important one for the Eagles, as the team had lost to the Warriors 21-38 last year, despite having a lead at the halfway point. In this year’s Yerba Buena game, the Eagles made all three of their touchdowns in the second half.
“Last year, Harker scored three touchdowns really early in the game,” said sophomore Akhila Ramgiri. “We were leading 21-0 at the half, but then they didn’t score at all for the rest of the game, and then Yerba Buena came back with 38 points because the Eagles let their guard down.”
The junior varsity (JV) team played before the varsity team. While the varsity players played, freshman and sophomore JV players watched the game to support their teammates and learn from the upperclassmen.
“It’s definitely great to learn from the older players who’ve been here a longer time and see how they play against the other teams,” Ayush Vyas (10) said. “It’s informative and it sets the tone for the JV players who are going to play varsity.”
The Harker cheerleading team also gave its first performance of the season at the game, motivating the athletes and energizing the crowd during timeouts and after well-executed plays.
“It’s exciting but I’m usually nervous at the beginning, and it’s the first one, so I feel rusty,” cheer team spirit coordinator Jessica Wang (11) said. “I’m definitely very proud of our football team.”
The Eagles will take on the Prospect Panthers next Friday, Sept. 2 at Prospect High School at 7 p.m.
