![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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 lost against the Cornerstone Christian School 30-44 on Davis Field on Sept. 5.
After the Eagle’s kickoff, the Cougars ran the ball up the field in consecutive first downs for a touchdown a minute into the first quarter, putting the Cougars up 6-0. Disciplined defense from the Eagles blocked the Cougars’ conversion attempt.
On offense, quarterback Rayan Arya and running back and wide receiver Jackson Powell advanced to four yards to the endzone. On the Eagle’s fourth down, Jackson finally broke through the Cougar defense to score the first touchdown. Rayan carried the ball into the end zone again in a successful two-point conversion, pulling Harker ahead 8-6.
“We always have to start out and establish the run, be hard-nosed and just jam it right up front,” Jackson said. “But when people get slow and the field opens up, you want to start taking shots, so that was the strategy there.”
Offensive lineman and defensive linebacker Oli Roman (12)’s tackles and running back Pedro Castro III (10)’s quarterback sack prevented the Cougars from scoring a touchdown. Jackson started the Eagles’ possession strong, rushing 15 yards with the ball and finished the drive with a 32-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 14-6.
Despite the Eagles’ efforts, a Cougar wide receiver slipped through blocks to score a touchdown and conversion to tie the score 14-14. After catching the punt, Jackson ran the ball to the 30-yard line, and then Rayan rushed nine yards. A Harker fumble returned possession to the Cougars.
Another successful Cougars drive propelled them to a 22-14 lead that remained until halftime. Lineman Siddarth Sundar (11)’s mother Nandini Sundaram commended the team on their strategic efforts in the first half.
“Our team did a great job getting the first two touchdowns in,” Sundaram said. “They’re using their heads to make the plays, so I’m just so proud of them to see them perform so well. In the second half of the game, the momentum can change, and I’m hoping that when they come back, they’re more refreshed.”
The Eagles came out of halftime with Rayan executing a fake handoff and rushing into the endzone 57 seconds in. Jackson muscled his way through several defenders for a successful conversion to even the score 22-22.
Cornerstone broke free of two Harker tackle attempts and regained the lead at 28-22. In the third quarter, Pedro and Rayan suffered cramps and forced Harker substitutions. A Cougar sack forced the Eagles to call a timeout to give the players rest. With two minutes left in the quarter, Cornerstone extended their lead to 36-22.
Once the Eagles regained possession, Rayan launched deep passes to Jackson but failed to secure a first down, resulting in a turnover to the Cougars. After a tight battle, including a touchdown from Jackson, the Cougars sealed the score 44-30 with a final touchdown. Pedro commented on his role on the team and the Eagles’ performance after the game.
“My proudest moment was just getting the downs and moving the ball for the whole team,” Pedro said. “The whole team did great, especially our freshmen. They showed up, and they played their hearts out.”
New head coach Doug Costa praised his 11-player team’s full effort against the Cougars’ 36 players. He viewed the loss as a crucial learning opportunity and has high expectations for the team’s success this season.
“We showed a lot of guts, a lot of toughness,” Costa said. “There was no quit in them. We had freshmen who never played tackle football, and that’s really a good team out there. I was proud of how hard they played.”
The team currently holds a 0-1 record and will compete against Turlock Christian in an away game on Sept. 14.
