![“[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 soccer team clinched a 3-1 victory over Pinewood at home on Jan. 24.
In the first half of the match, the Panthers secured a point as they crossed the ball into the 6-yard box, kicking a shot that rebounded off an Eagle’s knee into the goal.
The unexpected goal from the Panthers spurred the Eagles to level the score. Seizing an opportunity after a throw-in by co-captain and defender Ryan Barth (12), midfielder Cyrus Ghane (10) capitalized on the opening between rival defenders, bringing the score to 1-1.
“We didn’t come out too strong at the start,” Cyrus said. “Especially since we went down a goal in the first half, I felt that we really needed a goal to restart the momentum and increase our energy.”
In an attempt to counter, the Panthers sought to exploit openings in the Eagles’ defensive line. Their efforts manifested two scoring attempts, both thwarted by saves from goalkeeper Mikhil Kiran (10). The Eagles adhered to their high-press offensive strategy, exerting pressure immediately upon losing possession and forcing mistakes in rival defenders to win back possession.
“We had a lot of our main players on the bench for various reasons,” Mikhil said. “We subbed a few of them on at the start of the second half, and from there, the team’s morale got better.”
Shortly after halftime, a Panther passed the ball near the goalie box, intending for a defender to clear the ball. In the Eagles’ favor, the misguided kick redirected the ball toward captain and attacking midfielder Jack Yang (12), granting him a successful open shot on goal.
Pinewood consistently executed long kicks, enabling them to regain possession and exploit weaknesses in the Eagles’ defense. Jack suggests a potential countermeasure that the Eagles could have implemented to neutralize the opponents’ recurring tactic.
“Whenever the Panthers kicked the ball over our last line of defense, they were able to get to it before our defenders,” Jack said. “That’s probably one of our biggest weaknesses as a team, which they exploited pretty well in this game, especially because they have a fast winger and a center back to kick it over. To prevent this from happening, our defensive line could back peddle ten yards, so they get a headstart against their fast winger once they kick a long ball.”
The Eagles persisted in applying pressure, making two more attempts to score. In a decisive play, Jack maneuvered through the Panthers’ defenders and delivered a precise long shot from beyond the 18-yard box, scoring a third goal for the Eagles. In Pinewood’s pursuit to approach the opposing goal, they faced resistance from the Eagles’ defensive formation.
English teacher Tia Barth attended to watch both her students and her son Ryan play. She comments on the team’s improvement since the start of the league and their consistent success in recent games.
“The boys had a rough start to the league, and now they’ve won the last three in a row, so they’ve had some forward momentum,” Barth said. “It’s exciting and fun to watch them string some wins together.”
Mikhil hopes the team will work more cohesively as they progress through the rest of the season. The team began hosting team lunches before games to foster a tighter environment.
“We need to work on being more like a team rather than a bunch of players trying to play together,” Mikhil said. “If we do that, then we’ll become a much better team in this league.”
The team currently holds an overall record of 5-10-1. They play Eastside College Prep next in a home game on Monday for senior night.
