![“[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)
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Weekly Recap: Fall sports come out swinging
Running back Devin Keller (12) evades a defensive player as he carries the ball downfield during the Eagles matchup against Burton High on Aug. 30. The Eagles lost 57-22.
September 2, 2019
Cross Country
For the past few months, ever since pre-season workouts began in the summer, the cross country team has been training extensively for upcoming meets this year. With a grueling exercise regimen, which includes running several miles every day, they hope to be ready for their upcoming meets.
“[I want to] improve as a runner, mentally and physically,” Dawson Chen (10) said, regarding his goals for this season. “As a sophomore now, it will also be nice to guide the freshman as well as be under the leadership of our captains, and I think, overall, we’ll have a much better-bonded team this year.”
The team competes at the Lowell Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Golf
With the first week of practice over, the girls golf team is looking forward to playing against Sacred Heart Preparatory School on Tuesday, Sept. 3, and competing in the Chappy Wheeler Tournament in Palm Desert on Friday, Sept. 6. These will be the Eagles’ first matches of the year, excluding a scrimmage against Valley Christian Schools and Palo Alto High School last week on Aug. 28.
“I think we’re going to top off how we did last year, and that’s pretty amazing,” Andrea Thia (10) said of the girls’ expected performance this season. “[We’ve been] going to the range, practicing our long game and short game and just improving overall on our accuracy.”
Football
The football team played their first game of the year, and despite a tough loss of 57-22 against the Burton Pumas, the boys had a strong performance regardless, cheered on by Harker students, faculty and parents throughout the night.
Quarterback Vijay Vyas (11) ran one touchdown, and two more were scored by tight end Marcus Anderson (11) and offensive lineman Arjun Duraivenkatesh (11). Running back Devin Keller (12) also stood out the whole, leading in total rushing yards by the end.
“The team played amazing. We all played great, we played for each other: when one man went down, the other one came in and was ready to go,” Vijay said after the game. “It was our first game and was all about getting experience at this point. [We hope] to learn from this and turn around and win a few games.”
The Eagles next host Washington High School on Friday, Sept. 6, at 7:00 P.M.
Tennis
The girls tennis team will be playing their first match of the year at the 63rd Annual Santa Catalina Tennis Invitational this weekend, from Sept. 6 to Sept 7. After continuous training, they are excited to start competing with other schools in the area and officially kick off the season.
“It’s a lot of work because we have practice every day for two hours,” freshman Alissa Huda said of tennis practices. “But [there’s] been a lot of team bonding, and [we have become] a lot closer.”
Volleyball
On Thursday, August 29, the varsity, junior varsity and freshman volleyball teams all competed against and defeated teams from Branham High School, an impressive season opener all-around.
The varsity girls had a particularly close game, with the score tied for the majority of the sets. Regardless, they were able to pull ahead every time and eventually won 3-0 with a score of 25-16, 25-18 and 25-15, while the junior varsity and freshman teams earned 25-10, 25-11 and 25-10, 25-17 respectively.
“For the past two years we have lost to Branham, so I think this is a great way to open the season. I felt like we did a really good job of playing together, communicating and supporting each other,” Ashley Jazbec (12) said. “I also liked how the whole community of Harker came together and was cheering — some alumni from the volleyball team were even here.”
After the varsity team participates in the Spikefest 1 Tournament on Saturday, Aug 31, all of the teams will compete against Mercy High School on Wednesday, Sept. 4. On Friday, Sept. 6, the freshman team will host Prospect High School at 4:00 P.M., with junior varsity and varsity playing Westmont High School right after at 5:00 P.M. and 6:30 P.M. respectively.
Water Polo
Both the boys and girls water polo teams have been preparing for their first matches of the season in the next two weeks. Boys varsity will be competing in the Wilcox Tournament on Sept. 6 and Sept. 7, and boys junior varsity participated in the Leland JV Water Polo Tournament on Aug. 31.
All teams will be hosting Milpitas High School on Sept. 10, with boys varsity playing at 4:00 P.M., boys junior varsity at 5:15 P.M., and girls varsity at 6:15 P.M.“We have a pretty young team, so [our goals for this season are to] work together as a team, and ultimately put ourselves in a place where we can do really well in our league final tournament,” girls water polo coach Allie Lamb said. “It’s going to be a fun year, and everyone should come and watch us play.”
