![“[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)
Live coverage: Varsity boys water polo team takes on Gunn High School
October 5, 2021
Varsity boys water polo team member Andrew Reed (11) feels the team has made considerable improvements to their defense since their 13-18 loss to Gunn on Sept. 14.
“I thought it was a pretty good game overall. When we played them last time, we definitely had a lot more flaws as a team that we were able to solve in this game. [Gunn] has two pretty strong players, and I think we contained them a little bit better this time around,” Andrew said.
Vyom Vidyarthi (9) thinks the team could have improved their shot selection, but is confident they should be able to beat Gunn should they play them again later this season.
“We can improve our shooting. It was better than the last game where we lost by five, but we could have converted some more open shots. If we play [Gunn] again, in league finals, I think we should be able to beat them,” Vyom said.
Despite the outcome of the match, Coach Lee McBride is proud of his team for staying composed and connected through all four quarters.
“Even though we didn’t come up on top today, the boys stayed composed, and we had great teamwork. Our chemistry has been improving day by day throughout the season, and I think we were able to show that today. I couldn’t be more proud of the guys,” McBride said.
5:35 p.m. The Eagles lose 11-13.
5:32 p.m. Thomas scores his third goal of the game as the clock expires, with Gunn leading 13-11.
5:31 p.m. Gunn calls timeout with 30 seconds left to play.
5:30 p.m. The two teams exchange goals, and the score is now 13-10 in favor of Gunn. There is under a minute left to play in the match.
5:27 p.m. There are two minutes left to play in the match, and Gunn is up 12-9.
5:24 p.m. Andrew blocks a Gunn shot attempt, and the Eagles call timeout.
5:21 p.m. Gunn scores again, extending their lead to 11-9.
5:15 p.m. Gunn scores thrice and the Eagles fire back with a score of their own. The score is now 10-9 in favor of Gunn at the end of the third quarter.
5:08 p.m. The Eagles score twice, taking back the lead 8-7.
5:03 p.m. The teams switch sides at halftime. Gunn scores three times in quick succession coming out of the half to advance to a 7-6 lead.
4:50 p.m. The teams exchange goals, and shortly after, Thomas scores his second goal of the match. The score is now 6-4.
4:50 p.m. The Eagles call timeout.
4:47 p.m. Gunn responds to three unanswered Harker points with a goal of their own, making the score 4-3 in favor of the Eagles.
4:45 p.m. Lachlan Rossi (10) scores twice in quick succession to put the Eagles up 4-2.
4:41 p.m. The first quarter has come to an end. Both teams huddle up and regroup prior to the start of the second quarter.
4:39 p.m. Thomas Wisdom (11) scores for the Eagles. The score is now tied at 2-2.
4:35 p.m. Oskar Baumgarte (9) gets the Eagles on the board with a goal. The score is now 1-2.
4:33 p.m. Goalie Andrew Chen (12) blocks two Gunn shot attempts, but Gunn manages to power the ball into the goal on their third try to go up 2-0.
4:31 p.m. Gunn jumps out to an early 1-0 lead.
4:30 p.m. The referee blows the whistle, signaling the start of the match.
The varsity boys water polo team, who are currently placed second in league with a record of 6-1, will face off against first-place Gunn High School (6-0) at 4:30 p.m.
