![“[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 water polo defeats Cupertino during senior night
Matthew Hajjar (12) reaches for the ball, playing defense against a Cupertino player. The first half finished 6-3 in favor of the Eagles, with Harker goals scored by Bobby and Matthew.
October 18, 2018
The varsity boys water polo team triumphed 15-6 over the Cupertino high school Pioneers with at their senior night at Singh Aquatic Center last Thursday, bringing their overall record to 11-8.
The senior night ceremony, which began at 4 p.m., honored seven seniors: Bobby Bloomquist, Joshua Broweleit, Andrew Chang, Matthew Hajjar, Jacob Kim, Leon Lu, and Neil Tipirneni.
Cupertino took first possession at the start of the match, but the Eagles fought back with two consecutive goals courtesy of Matthew. The first half finished 6-3 in favor of the Eagles, with Harker goals scored by Bobby and Matthew.
The second half resulted in a team performance apt for senior night, with Matthew, Jacob, Bobby, Andrew and Leon contributing nine more Eagle points while the Pioneers managed only three. The match finished with a dominating 15-6 Harker victory.
“Last game against them, we lost just barely in a golden goal, which is double overtime,” Jacob said. “We’re really happy to have come back and given it our best shot. It’s really sentimental being here on senior night, I’ve only got maybe four or five games left, and I won’t be with this team, these coaches, and at this pool again.”
Head coach Ted Ujifusa and assistant coach Dr. Victor Adler credit a more focused defensive strategy with the improved Harker performance.
“We played more of the Harker style water polo that we’re looking for which is predicated on defense first,” Ujifusa said. “Then we look for getting good opportunities on the offense, and we happen to have the shooters who can take care of the ball. We had a good week of practice, you can’t play different than the way you practice. This week, it was more focused than the past, and we have a chance to actually win the league so there’s that out there for us to keep trying hard.”
During practices this week leading up to the game, Adler focused on running a zone defense in order to counter their opponents.
“We’re playing well right now, this game defense was a bit different because our guys were more aware,” Adler said. “It’s cliché, but defense wins games. At the beginning of the game, I like to see that our offense is clicking and running the things it should be running, and it was today. We are in a position where we need to win every game, so we need to keep the gas on. Even if we’re up four goals, you have to continue to press the advantage every time. I tell them, never let up, never relax.”
The win over Cupertino helped the Eagles gain CCS qualification points. The boys compete in the Ronald J. Freeman Memorial Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Monta Vista and Wilcox, respectively.
