![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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 overwhelms Priory 3-1 amid clouds and drizzle
Ishaan Mantripragada (9) takes the ball downfield as a Priory player chases him. The team is on a 7-game win streak, which began with their win over San Mateo on Nov. 30.
January 15, 2019
The varsity boys soccer team soundly defeated Woodside Priory School 3-1 in a league home game accompanied by intermittent rain on Friday afternoon.
The first half began with an early goal by midfielder Andrew Cheplyansky (11). After strong defense from both teams as well as multiple attempts to advance to the net, Harker pulled further ahead with freshman Arthur Kajiyama and sophomore Mateo Weiner closing out the last two minutes of the first with two goals in quick succession, gaining a 3-0 lead that would later prove to be insurmountable.
“[The last two minutes of the first half] changed the game, and we were able to really win the game and finish it off,” head soccer coach Jeff Baicher said.
Priory scored once after halftime but was unable to break through the Harker defense for the rest of the game. Harker used a strategy where tried to shut down the best player on Priory’s team.
“I think we played very well today. It was a different challenge for us because that team we played against has one very special player, and sometimes one special player can change a game,” Baicher said.
Friday’s game marks the second league win for the varsity boys soccer team, improving their record to 2-0. So far, the team is on a 7-game win streak, which started with San Mateo High on Nov. 30.
“I think once Harker really pulled ahead after the first half, there was just a lot more momentum and energy, even in the bleachers,” Srivishnu Pyda (10) said, who watched the game.
Shaunak Naraiyan (10), who plays midfield for the varsity team, emphasized the importance of following through with the team’s plans.
“As a team, we are probably going to try to stick to our strategy in the next couple games and make sure we don’t slip up because we had a couple slip-ups last game that led to a goal for the other team,” varsity soccer athlete Shaunak said. “But overall I think we’re doing a pretty good job so far.”
The team next hosts Crystal Springs Uplands next Wednesday at 3 p.m.
