![“[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 football won their home opener game against Turlock Christian 62-14 on Sept. 2 at 6 p.m.
Harker set the tone for the game with a rushing touchdown from running back Pedro Castro III (9), bringing the score to 8-0 after a successful 2-point conversion minutes into the game. Harker and Turlock Christian faced a standstill in the first quarter until wide receiver Arav Vuppala (9) completed a running first down. Co-captain wide receiver Daniel Lin (12) then completed a short pass from quarterback and co-captain Jack Ledford (12) to run in a touchdown, as the score improved to 14-0. Finishing the first quarter strong, Pedro returned a fourth down punt from Turlock Christian, setting up running back Jackson Powell (10) to run the ball for a 20-yard touchdown completion on the next play. After suffering a hit while scrambling as quarterback, Jack was subbed out of the game for quarterback Rayan Arya (11).
Opening the second quarter, Harker scored on a fourth down with seven minutes left in the second quarter, bringing Harker to 32 overall. Keeping the Eagle’s momentum, Pedro made another touchdown, with Rayan scoring a two-point conversion after, ending the second quarter at 40-0. During halftime, the cheerleading team performed on the field as students and faculty watched in their Barbenheimer-inspired outfits for Harker Spirit Leadership Team’s (HSLT) home opener theme.
Upper school English teacher Christopher Hurshman, a frequent Harker football spectator, tries to watch as many team events as possible to support the teams and contribute to school spirit. Regarding the season ahead, Hurshman applauds the players’ attitudes in the face of obstacles.
“In some ways it looks like it [will be] a tough season because the team is smaller, [so] they’re having to compete in 8-person games,” Hurshman said. “But they’re well-coached, enthusiastic and excited to be here. I’m hopeful that they’ll have a competitive season, and it’ll be full of challenges and successes.”
Following the performance, Jackson ran in a touchdown to bring the score 32-0. Harker completed two more touchdowns until a Turlock Christian wide receiver completed a pass for a touchdown. Harker scored a 55-yard touchdown pass to Arav to set the score 54-6 going into the fourth quarter.
Harker continued to dominate in the fourth quarter as they capitalized on a dropped ball from a missed hand-off, allowing Pedro to recover the fumble for a turnover. In that same drive, Rayan ran the ball 32 yards for a touchdown. Turlock muscled in a hand-off to their running back in the final minutes to set the final score to 62-14.
Contributing four touchdowns, two running and two throwing, Rayan attributes the team’s success to the warm and welcoming atmosphere of their home opener despite a tough loss last week.
“It was great to see a crowd out there that really helped us win, giving us so much motivation that got us hype,” Rayan said. “After [the away game], each of us really took a step back and realized we’re not at that level yet where we can beat every single team. Going into each practice every single day and working 120% each rep built up confidence to help us secure this win today.”
In celebration of offensive and defensive line player Charlotte Ludlow’s (10) birthday and the team’s win, new Assistant Coach Chris Wulf honored a pregame promise to allow players to shave his head if they won. Dubbed “Operation Bald Eagle,” players gathered in the locker room after the game to cut coach Wulf’s hair.
“It’s best when players play loose and when they’re having fun, just out there relaxed doing what they do,” Coach Wulf said. “The message going forward, both on offense and defense, is to start to play for each other and really have that family atmosphere in the locker room. If we can have a little fun in the meantime, that’s a bonus.”
The varsity football team improved their record to 1-1. They play Branson High School next on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. at home.
