![“[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 dominates Design Tech 63-47
KJ Williams (12) points while playing with the varsity boys basketball team on Dec. 16. The team defeated Design Tech High School at home, with a score of 63-47.
December 30, 2022
The varsity boys basketball team defeated Design Tech High School 63-47 at home on Dec. 16.
The game started with Harker winning the tip-off, and they established a 16-10 lead by the end of the first quarter, with Michael Chang (11), Bowen Xia (10) and Om Tandon (11) each shooting three pointers. The Eagles continued to dominate in the second quarter, and by half time, the team extended their lead by more than twofold to a score of 34-21.
“It was a slow start, and traditionally after finals week it takes a little bit for the team to get going, but they were able to pick it up in the second quarter and the rest of the game to play a little bit harder,” Head Coach Alfredo Alves said.
After halftime, the Eagles kept their previous momentum. Om blocked multiple shots from Design Tech, and KJ Williams (12) scored the first basket of the third quarter. Harker’s strong defense prevented the opposing team from scoring, and their open communication allowed the team to catch their opponents off guard easily. With multiple steals from Kevin Zhang (11), Harker maintained a strong lead in the third quarter 54-29.
“Overall, our communication really improved after the second half,” captain Abhi Namala (12) said. “The first half, we weren’t talking much, but once we started talking and letting people know we had their backs, the game started moving forward and the score increased.”
The fourth quarter started off with Design Tech scoring twice, but Harker responded by stealing the ball and taking control of their side of the court. After missing a few shots, Design Tech got ahold of the ball and scored. Though the quarter began with a rocky start, Harker overcame the opposing team’s offense, and Advay Monga (10) made a basket. After a few more shots from both teams, Harker won the game.
Ayan Nath (‘22), team manager for last year’s varsity boys basketball team, enjoyed watching his former teammates play.
“I know all the players, and it’s really fun to see how much better they’ve gotten only over the course of a year,” Nath said. “Some of them are seniors now, so it’ll be their last year. It’s fun watching them [in] their last season.”
Reflecting on the preseason so far, Coach Alves praised the team for their strong start and encouraged them to continue their momentum.
“The team is doing well,” Coach Alves said. “At the start of the season, we won a tournament early on. We [have] six [wins] and one [loss] — not many teams can say that. I’m proud of them playing well and [it’s] still a long season, so a lot can happen. [For] the start of the season, I’m very proud of them, and I’m happy with what we’re doing.”
The varsity boys basketball team will next play against Nueva in a home game on Jan. 3 at 6:30 p.m.
