![“[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 softball team defeated James Lick High School 11-3 at Blackford on Feb. 28.
The first inning commenced with pitcher and shortstop Raeanne Li (9) pitching and catcher Maddie Avila (9) behind the plate. Raeanne’s pitches successfully struck three Comets out before they made any runs. Center field and second base Grace Fu (9) then stepped up as the first Eagle to bat. Grace and Maddie ran to home plate during the first inning, putting Harker in the lead 2-0.
In the second inning, a passing sequence from Maddie to Raeanne to first base Isha Kotalwar (12) resulted in a Comet thrown out at first base, ending the Comets’ offensive stretch. After the Eagles returned to the batter’s box, shortstop and pitcher Joy Hu (10) stepped up when all the bases were loaded, and her hit drove in three runs for the Eagles. Raeanne’s mother Lilian Zheng commended the team for their cooperation in the first two innings.
“They are playing so well as a team,” Zheng said. “They came together, and everyone is contributing. It’s very exciting because this is the first time they have a team in three years, and everyone is really making great efforts.”
Raeanne again struck out three Comets without conceding a single run in the third inning. Right field Michael Harley’s (10) hit cleared two bases, and third base Selena Chen’s (9) hit followed suit, sending Michael home. Grace then hit a home run, scoring an additional two runs for Harker. Harker widened their lead to 11-0 at the end of the inning.
In the fourth inning, Isha’s hit sent the Comets scrambling for the ball as she ran to third base. Although high school softball games standardly last seven innings, the Eagles’ early lead called for a five-inning game. Joy then stepped up to pitch for the Eagles in the final inning. Three Comets managed to score, and the game concluded with the Eagles leading 11-3.
This match marked the first softball or high school sports game for many of the players as nine underclassmen currently make up the majority of the 12 player team. Head coach Raul Rios praised the players’ progress since their first practice two weeks ago.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect because we have a lot of young players,” Rios said. “But they’re working really hard and learning, and we did really good. They went out there, and they showed a lot of energy. They played hard all the way through and hustled.”
Grace noted that the encouragement and cheers from her teammates off the diamond contributed to their successful win.
“I love the spirit everyone has, and it’ll only get better from here,” Grace said. “I hope this season we keep the spirit we have, and as long as we have the energy and support we have today, then we can do it.”
The team currently holds a 1-0 record and plays Castilleja next on Mar. 12.
