![“[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 girls varsity basketball team advanced to CCS semifinals in a comeback 53-38 win vs. King’s Academy at home on Feb. 20.
Before the match, athletic director Dan Molin introduced players from both teams. To begin the game, a tip-off violation against the Kings led to Harker gaining possession of the ball, and Harker built an 8-0 lead, forcing a King’s timeout. Despite several strong plays from the Eagles, including successful 3-pointers from co-captain guards Isabella Lo (11) and Claire Miao (12), the Kings turned the tide, mounting a 9-0 run to earn an 18-15 advantage in the second quarter. Although plays like co-captain Emily Mitnick’s (11) layup regained momentum for the Eagles, they ended the first half down 21-27.
Head coach Daniza Rodriguez highlighted the Eagles’ strategic adjustments after a slow second quarter, increasing their aggression and executing faster-paced plays.
“Getting back to our style of play, we knew in the second quarter that we started to fade away from how we started,” Rodriguez said. “So we needed to make adjustments to get back, which is our full court, running the lanes, putting the pressure on them and really getting into our opponent’s base.”
The Kings continued to pressure Harker throughout the third quarter, landing multiple 3-pointers until Harker called a timeout down 25-37. The Eagles responded strongly with a layup from Isabella but still trailed 27-37 at the end of the third quarter.
Harker found its footing in the final quarter. Early layups from Claire, 3-pointers from Isabella and free throws from Emily contributed to the Eagles’ opening 14-0 run, earning them the 41-37 lead. The Kings briefly broke the Eagles’ streak with a free throw, but Claire drained a 3-pointer from the corner to force another Kings timeout. After an attempt by the Kings to slow the Eagles with a full-court press defense, the Eagles responded with various shots from Claire, Isabella and Emily, completing the 26-1 comeback with a final score of 53-38.
Spectator Daniel Lin (12) applauded the Eagles’ fourth-quarter effort after a slow start.
“Their entire team was super clutch,” Daniel said. “Everyone played through the pressure, and I was really impressed. Especially in the fourth quarter, when they were down by 10, they were still able to play the best that I’ve ever seen.”
Claire also highlighted the Eagles’ momentum shift in the fourth quarter, noting the stakes of CCS as her final games as a Harker athlete.
“At half time, I was really sad because I was just thinking about, ‘What if my season could be over?’” Claire said. “I’m gonna be honest, I lost a lot of hope, but Coach made a lot of adjustments at halftime, which I thought were really good. In the fourth quarter, it was just really exciting. We were just shouting on the court, we heard the crowd and it was just really emotional.”
The win advanced the Eagles to the semifinals of the CCS Division IV bracket. They ended their CCS run in a 55-65 loss against Half Moon Bay on Thursday at home.
