![“[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 girls basketball team faces Santa Clara High School in scrimmage
Freshman Dylan Williams dribbles down the court while evading a Santa Clara High School player. This is the girls basketball team’s second scrimmage of the season.
November 24, 2017
The varsity girls basketball team played against Santa Clara High School in a preseason scrimmage on Tuesday. Because this game was a scrimmage, the score was reset after every quarter.
Squeaks of basketball shoes echoed against the new gym floor as the Varsity Girls team warmed up for their matchup against the Santa Clara High School Bruins on Wednesday afternoon. Captains Selin Sayiner (12), Satchi Thockchom (12) and Akhila Ramgiri (11) shouted words of encouragements to the team during their drills.
Following the tip off, the eagles took first possession of the ball. Akhila Ramgiri (11) opened the scrimmage with a three-pointer followed by Satchi Thockchom (12) and Jennifer Hayashi (11) scoring two points each within the first four minutes. Santa Clara High School soon caught up, but Harker ended up taking the first quarter lead, 10-7. The second quarter resulted in a 8-8 tie.
The second half of the game proved to be a rough time for the eagles as they suffered a 22-3 loss in the third quarter, as well as a 20-7 loss in the final quarter.
“I think we did a pretty good job as a team to perform at a high level at the beginning of the season,” captain Selin Sayiner (12) said. “Hopefully we can continue this momentum into the regular season. A big thing we have trouble with, especially with such a young team, is the physicality of the sport. We’re typically undersized. This year we have some height but when you’re in a matchup with someone bigger than you, you really have to fight for it. Whether it’s for the rebound or 50-50 ball, we need to hustle and try as hard as we can.”
Since defense is such a central component of the game, the girls hope to build on their cohesion as a team by trusting each other.
“In the second half we definitely have to improve handling pressure because we didn’t hold out that well,” captain Akhila Ramgiri said. “There were many turnovers. We need to work on trusting each other more on the defense and in the press break. Also on offense, just knowing we can pass to anyone.”
Because scrimmages do not count for the team’s record, they use the opportunity to take risks and learn what to improve on for future games. This scrimmage against Santa Clara gave the girls a chance to see how they worked in different lineups and positions.
“A lot of the girls have so much potential and this season is where we’re really going to tap into it,” assistant coach Joan “Joanie” Marciano said. “All of them are like little dynamites, and once we light that spark, it’s going to be a big explosion. We want that to happen this season, where we have a star team. I see so much growth with the girls and we just want to make sure all the girls have that confidence. We as the coaches have confidence in them, but they need to trust themselves.”
The team faces their next opponent at 12 p.m. on Nov. 30 at Pescadero High School.
