![“[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 basketball wins two quarters in season’s second scrimmage
Bowen Xia dribbles through Aptos High School defenders at the varsity boys basketball team’s scrimmage on Nov. 19. Point guard Bowen Xia (10) made multiple two pointers in the second quarter.
November 26, 2022
Boys varsity basketball won two out of four quarters against Aptos High School at home on Nov. 19.
Aptos started strong in the first quarter, scoring the first six points and ending the quarter up 16-11. In the second quarter, the boys responded with several strong plays including a three pointer from shooting guard Kevin Zhang (11) and multiple two pointers from point guard Bowen Xia (10), outscoring Aptos 15-6, ending with a 31-17 lead at halftime.
Team manager Rishi Cherukuri (12) identified reducing turnovers and making their free throws as a team focus for their upcoming games, pointing to the first and second quarters as examples of areas of improvement.
“[Scrimmages are] just practice,” Rishi said. “The more practice the better. It’s mostly [about] how you can improve. It’s the beginning of the season, so they need to get back into the game.”
In the third quarter, the Eagles once again took the early lead, with co-captain Abhi Namala (12), setting the tone by drawing a charge on the first play. Kevin also added to this lead, hitting two threes early in the quarter. Later on, Matthew Chen (12) hit a tough shot, getting fouled and making his free throw.
Assistant Coach Eric Lee noted the team’s improvement in energy throughout the scrimmage.
“They competed much better this game than they did against Oak Grove in our last scrimmage,” Lee said. “They had more fight in them, and we had more energy.”
Although the team lost the fourth quarter 2-13, Abhi highlighted the team’s overall improvement and his high hopes for the rest of the season.
“Our defensive intensity was really high until the end, but we were going at it 110% for three quarters,” Abhi said. “I’m looking forward to this season. I think Harker basketball is at its peak right now, so I’m looking forward to winning the league as a team this year.”
