![“[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 football team played against Gunn High School on Friday, October 5, losing 21-49.
In the first half of the game, the Eagles started off strong but were unable to defeat the Titans, despite touchdowns thrown to Robert Deng (12) and Kevin Moss (11) by quarterback Spenser Quash (12). Deniz Celik (12) also helped the Eagles with a 32-yard field goal. Despite the Eagles’ efforts, the Titans pulled ahead, leaving the score at 30-18 by the end of the second quarter.
“I was excited [because] the guys were doing [well] and actually competing with the other team,” Daniza Rodriguez (12) said.
Despite the score before halftime, Julia Wang (10) did not lose her faith in the Eagles.
“I thought the beginning half of the game was very exciting because we were neck and neck,” she said. “Unfortunately, after halftime [the Titans] started scoring more, but I was still cheering for our team.”
After halftime, the Eagles and Titans were back on the field. The Titans scored three more touchdowns, bringing the score to 18-49.
“I don’t think the team ever gave up. All the guys fought hard until the end [for] each other,” Allen Huang (10) said.
During the last quarter, the Eagles were unable to close the lead the Titans had. Deniz kicked a 26-yard field goal, leaving the score at 21-49.
“I think we did pretty well considering the fact that a lot of [players] are hurt. We only had 17 kids that could play, and most of them were sophomores and juniors,” Spenser said.
The crowd stayed supportive through the game as the Eagles tried to make a comeback.
“I think they’ve definitely been having a tough couple weeks, and they put up a good fight [Friday] night, especially with the JV season being canceled and so many of the starters getting injured,” Amy Gendotti (12) said. “They’ve been doing a great job pushing through and using everyone they have to their advantage.”
The Eagles’ next home game is against Monta Vista on October 19 at 7:30 p.m.
![Senior Gabe Sachse and sophomore Shaurya Jain hug after winning the game. “I don’t want to say goodbye because [the seniors] are my friends outside of baseball as well,” Shaurya said. “Either way, I wanted to go all out for the seniors.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/53-KAT_4240-e1747776384650-1200x778.jpg)
