![“[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 junior varsity boys water polo team fell to Los Altos High School in a close 10-14 match on Sept. 24.
Los Altos jumped to a quick 2-0 lead early on, but Yash Greene (11) and Jayden Rodriguez (11) responded with one goal each, tying the game at 2-2 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter started with Terry Xie’s (11) penalty shot, giving Harker the lead of 3-2. Led by goalie Luka Degoricija (10), Harker’s defense held strong and only allowed Los Altos to score one goal during the quarter.
Field player and driver Ido Eyal (9) highlighted Luka’s defense and grit throughout the game.
“He gave it his all and never got subbed out, even though he was injured,” Ido said. “He always gave critical and encouraging feedback after every play, and was very active and loud, shouting compliments to the team and directing them on what to do.”
Ido boosted the score with two consecutive goals: one from a sweep and another from a rebound after a Los Altos goalie fumble. Terry kept the momentum with a long shot from six meters out, and Yash and Jayden each scored to extend Harker’s advantage to 8-3 at the end of the first half.
Spectator and varsity water polo player Ian Cheline (10) applauded Terry’s offensive plays during the game.
“Terry was a really big asset to the team,” Ian said. “He’s an athlete — good at swimming, passing, shooting, driving, anything.”
As the game progressed, Los Altos gained the edge, capitalizing on Harker’s mistakes and scoring four goals to narrow the lead to 8-7. Harker’s offense struggled to finish goals in the frontcourt, allowing Los Altos to force turnovers and score on counterattacks.
By the end of the third quarter, Harker players began to lag behind their opponents. Los Altos constantly rotated fresh players from their larger bench, allowing them to maintain energy while Harker’s smaller roster struggled to keep up.
Yash fired back crucial shots from long distance, keeping Harker on the edge of winning the game, as the third quarter narrowed to 9-10. After another goal from Los Altos in the first moments of the final quarter, Ido scored from midrange. Los Altos followed with four goals shortly thereafter, leaving Harker down 14-10.
Reflecting on the game, Luka reflected on the team’s areas of improvement. Despite the loss, the boys hope to learn and come back stronger in their next matches.
“Our coach told us to not stop trying and to come back strong each time,” Luka said. “We kept coming back after each failed attempt, and we did that pretty well. Next time, we will listen to him and stick to the fundamentals.”
The team holds a 2-2 record and faces Mountain View next on Oct. 1 at home.
