![“[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 crowned CCS champions, advance to NorCals
The varsity soccer team celebrates after clinching the CCS championship 3-1 in penalty kicks after ending overtime tied at 1-1. During the penalty kicks, Andrew Cheplyansky (12), Justin Fung (10) and Darshan Chahal (12) all scored, and goalie Laszlo Bollyky (10) made two close saves, securing the win for the Eagles.
March 3, 2020
The varsity boys soccer team defeated the St. Francis Lancers 3-1 in penalty kicks after ending 1-1 in double overtime in the Central Coast Section (CCS) Division III finals on Saturday, advancing to the first round of the NorCal Division III championship.
Following a back-and-forth first half, the Eagles and the Lancers entered halftime tied 0-0 in front of a large crowd gathered at Fremont High. With more strong defense from both sides and a few near-misses on offense, the two CCS finalists remained tied scoreless at the end of regulation.
Heading into overtime, St. Francis scored early, taking a 1-0 lead. In the last minute of the final overtime period, Justin Fung (10) scored to tie it up at 1-1, ensuring that the first-place matchup would be decided by penalty kicks.
During the penalty kicks, Andrew Cheplyansky (12), Justin and Darshan Chahal (12) all scored, and goalie Laszlo Bollyky (10) made two close saves, securing the win for the Eagles. This season has been a historic one for the Eagles, as they advanced past the CCS semifinals for the first time in school history.
“The fact that four years ago we’d only been to CCS once. Then we start going to CCS, we start making it further and further. And now we’re the CCS champions, that’s insane,” Laszlo said.
The varsity soccer team won the semifinal matchup against Sequoia last Wednesday with the same score, emerging victorious 3-1 in PKs after ending overtime 1-1.
“I was feeling really confident about how we played against Sequoia. It kind of moved onto the same scenario,” Laszlo said. “Our whole team just rallied towards the end. We got it together, we scored during the last minute, we went onto PKs, and we’re the winners now, we’re the champions.”
For the crowd of Harker students, parents and teachers who attended to show their support for the players during the finals, it was just as exciting to see the team come back at the end and take it all.
“I think this was a really good game to come to because they made Harker history and the whole team, they really wanted us to come support and come out,” Rhea Nanavati (11) said. “Coming out to the games, you can see that they really want to be there and that they’re putting their heart out on the field.”
The team is set to play the Galt Warriors at home today at 4 p.m. in the quarterfinals round of the NorCal Division III tournament.
Additional reporting by Alysa Suleiman.
CIF Northern California Regional 2020 Boys’ Soccer Championships Division III
