![“[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)
The varsity boys basketball team fell short in a 49-56 loss against the Collegiate School at home on Jan. 3.
Harker faced the Dutchmen, from Manhattan, in the Eagles’ first game against an out-of-state team since the team’s trip to Hawaii in 2019. Collegiate head coach Ryan Kieler spoke about his team traveling to tour the Bay Area.
“For the team, it’s a great experience,” Kieler said. “This was about team bonding and coming out here and getting a couple of games under our belt during the winter break, when we didn’t have an opportunity to play in New York.”
The Dutchmen won the tipoff and immediately went on a four-point run. Due to Collegiate’s full-court press strategy, in which players defend aggressively as soon as the ball is inbounded, Harker struggled to keep possession of the ball. Collegiate maintained a solid lead and forced the Eagles to call two time-outs early in the first quarter.
Harker gained momentum following the timeouts, with a steal-and-score from co-captain and point guard Bowen Xia (11) and a three-pointer from forward Nolan Chen (11), closing the gap with Collegiate. The Dutchmen answered by hitting shots of their own, bringing the score to 7-16 with 1:19 left in the first quarter. Rahul Yalla (11) made a layup as the quarter buzzer sounded, which left the Eagles trailing 9-16 at the end of the first.
To start the second quarter, Harker employed a full-court press of their own, disorienting the Dutchmen and going on a 11-5 run, highlighted by a steal and assist from shooting guard Advay Monga (11) to forward Rohit Yalla (11). This brought the score to 20-21 with 3:27 left, both team’s pressing the attack, leading to loose balls, fouls and turnovers. Head coach Alfredo Alves spoke about their strategic flip towards a more aggressive defense after the game.
“We knew that we could apply more pressure,” Alves said. “At that point, I think we [were] down 10 or 11 so we wanted to try something different by switching into a full court press. That was effective, and it worked to get us back into the game.”
Collegiate closed the first half dominantly. The Dutchmen slowed their pace, looking for open passing and driving lanes and avoiding easy turnovers. This allowed the visiting team to go on an 11-2 run, ending the second quarter at 22-32 Dutchmen.
After halftime, Harker began to double-team Dutchmen’s ball handlers to force turnovers. Guards Gary Jin (11) and co-captain Kevin Zhang (12) each swiped the ball and scored, closing the gap to just five points at 27-32. Collegiate responded in kind, extending their lead to 13 points with 1:21 left in the quarter. The home team went on a 6-0 run to end the quarter, with both Bowen and Rahul hitting crucial two-pointers. Harker closed the quarter facing a seven-point deficit.
The two teams traded buckets at the beginning of the fourth quarter, with Harker getting within two points of Collegiate with Rohit’s three-pointer. The Eagles forced a score of 45-47 with three minutes left, aided by a three-pointer from Caden Ruan (10). The team’s efforts ultimately fell short with the Dutchmen landing four consecutive shots for a final score of 49-56 Dutchmen.
The Eagles suffered many injuries both before and during the game, reducing the availability of many regular starters. Co-captain Om Tandon (12), who has yet to play this season due to an injury, reflected upon the team’s efforts despite facing adversity.
“I was really proud of the effort,” Om said. “[The Eagles] came out a little slow, but we learned from our mistakes and switched to denying the ball every single play. That’s really tiring, because you have to stay with your man, stay right next to him. I’m proud of these guys for being able to do that and stay in this game.”
The team next plays in an away game against Pinewood on Jan. 16.
