![“[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)
Boys soccer makes dramatic comeback to tie Sacred Heart
Darshan Chahal (12) dribbles downfield during the Eagles’ 3-3 tie against undefeated Sacred Heart last Wednesday. The boys are currently 4-1-1 in league.
January 29, 2020
The varsity boys soccer team tied undefeated Sacred Heart 3-3 last Wednesday at home, after having gone 8-2-1 in their overall season so far.
Ishaan Mantripragada (10) scored the first goal against multiple Sacred Heart defenders. However, Sacred Heart retaliated and rattled off two straight goals before the half.
“I think [we won because of] chemistry and hard work pretty much. We know each other so well, we play so well together. We were all so fired up at every goal,” Ishaan Mantripragada (10) said.
Then, down 2-1 heading into halftime, the team discussed a new plan of attack to help them rebound from their previous mistakes. The Eagles also spoke on the importance of improving their own awareness of spacing on the field.
“It’s my second time watching [the team play]. The first time I had a lot of fun, and it was a really close game too. We [have] a good group of guys and it’s fun to support the kids who are in my math class and see them work hard on the field.” said Arjun Virmani (11).
After Sacred Heart scored early in the second half, bringing the score to 3-1, Andrew Cheplansky (12) led the comeback with two consecutive goals. After a penalty kick that brought the score to 3-2, a dramatic head bump only seconds before the end of regulation tied the game 3-3.
“This game we put up a plan in place against a very good team. The perseverance, the comeback and find[ing] ways to tie the game, I thought was outstanding,” varsity boys soccer head coach Jeff Baicher said.
The varsity boys next play on Friday at Priory (1-6-1) at 3:30 p.m.
