![“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)
Weekly recap: Winter sports leap into early competition
Co-captain Giovanni Rofa (12) brings the ball up the court, closely guarded by Srivishnu Pyda (11) during practice on Nov. 8. This week, the Eagles competed at the 58th Annual James Lick Invitational Tournament (JLIT) from Dec. 4 to 6, going 1-2 with narrow defeats of 48-45 and 52-48 to American High School and Fremont High School respectively, but a decisive 52-27 win against James Lick High School.
December 15, 2019
Boys Basketball
After kicking off their season with a team trip to Maui, Hawaii, in late November, varsity boys basketball has had a strong showing in recent games and currently maintains an overall record of 4-3. This week, the Eagles competed at the 58th Annual James Lick Invitational Tournament (JLIT) from Dec. 4 to 6, going 1-2 with narrow defeats of 48-45 and 52-48 to American High School and Fremont High School respectively, but a decisive 52-27 win against James Lick High School. The boys then beat St. Thomas More 56-40 on Wednesday.
This year, the junior varsity team is also off to an impressive start: they went 2-1 at JLIT, defeating Silver Creek High School 76-49 and Andrew Hill High School 66-41, before losing to Evergreen Valley High School 51-42. The boys also played two narrow games in the Del Mar Tournament on Dec. 11 and 12, earning a 47-44 victory over Pioneer High School, yet a tough 56-51 loss to Leigh High School on the following day.
Finally, the freshman basketball team played their first game of the season on Dec. 11, suffering a 56-36 defeat against St. Thomas More despite putting up a fight. Next week, all three boys teams will play on Friday, Dec. 20: the freshman team faces Mountain View High School at 4:30 p.m., while JV and varsity host University Prep Academy at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. respectively.
Girls Basketball
In their first local basketball of the season, following their trip to Mauii, the girls varsity team racked up their first win, beating Pioneer High School 64-46 on Dec. 11. They are now 1-3 overall and look to continue improving their record in the following weeks.
“Although we started off this season slowly, we’re hoping to pick it up in the next month and get some wins before we have our league games in January,” co-captain Maria Vazhaeparambil (11) said.
Additionally, junior varsity competed in two tournaments this month, starting their season off strong. The girls went 2-1 in the Cougar Classic Tournament last week, coming back from a 38-26 loss to Wilcox High School with a landslide victory of 32-9 against Mt. Pleasant High School and a 33-29 overtime win against Notre Dame High School. The Eagles are also currently participating in the Silver Creek Tournament this weekend.
Both teams will play this Friday, Dec. 20, with the junior varsity and varsity teams hosting Silver Creek High School at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. respectively.
Boys Soccer
Currently 4-1 so far, the varsity boys soccer team is off to an impressive start early in their season. This week, they beat Lynbrook High School 3-0 on Dec. 11, before a tough loss against Valley Christian San Jose on Dec. 13 ended their winning streak. Regardless, the Eagles are hopeful about the upcoming season and their performance once league [competition] begins.
“This season has been great, not just because of our results but because I have grown closer with my teammates off the field,” varsity player Ishaan Mantripragada (10) said. “I’m looking forward to winning CCS for the first time in Harker history.”
The junior varsity team also played Valley Christian on Dec. 9 this week, securing a 3-0 victory, their first win of the season. However, after a tough battle on Dec. 11, the boys lost to Lynbrook 3-1, resulting in their current record of 1-3-1. Both teams will play away at Harbor High School this Friday on Dec. 20: JV at 5:30 p.m. and varsity at 7 p.m.
Girls Soccer
After an impressive few weeks, the girls varsity soccer team maintains an overall record of 2-0-2, having yet to lose a game this season. On Dec. 10, the Eagles tied with Pacific Collegiate School 1-1, then defeated Andrew Hill High School 2-1 on Dec. 12.
“So far, the season’s been going pretty well,” goalie Amla Rashingkar (12) said. “I think we have a really strong team dynamic, and I’m really excited to continue playing with everyone.”
In the upcoming week, the girls host Ace Charter School on Friday, Dec. 20, at 2 p.m.
Additional reporting by Muthu Panchanatham
