![“[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)
Varsity boys water polo defeated Gunn High School 17-5 at the Singh Aquatic Center on Thursday.
Harker won the opening swim-off but quickly lost possession due to pressure from Gunn. After goalie Alejandro Cheline (11) blocked an up-close shot Harker regained control of the ball, Ian Cheline (10) scored the first goal.
The two teams exchanged goals in a back and forth battle, with the score climbing to 3-2. Halfway through the quarter, Harker’s offense found its rhythm, and goals from Ruhan Arora (11) and Adam Pawliger (12) propelled the Eagles to a lead of 7-2 at the end of the quarter.
During the second quarter, the pace of the game slowed as both sides struggled to score. Caio Cammer (12) and captain Vyom Vidyarthi (12) curbed multiple Titans offensive plays by intercepting passes and protecting the goal. Gunn scored their only goal of the quarter off a penalty shot, and Harker responded by scoring three points in a row, bringing the score up to 10-3 by halftime.
Alejandro credited Harker’s dominance in the first two quarters to fast counterattacks, which stemmed from the team’s constant offensive pressure and effective defense.
“We had a lot of goals off the counter, and our defensive high press really worked out,” Alejandro said. “Now that we’re in the second half of the season, the team is improving a lot and we’re really working on the counter and especially our defense.”
Harker continued their defensive control through the third quarter, as Alejandro made three saves, including a close-range block with his chest and a deflection of a long range shot over the crossbar. On offense, David Kelly (10) delivered a pass from the wing to Aden Liu (9), who tipped it into the goal, extending Harker’s lead to 12-3.
Head coach Lee Mcbride emphasized this noteworthy play by highlighting the clean execution from both players involved.
“The vision was great,” McBride said. “Seeing that pass was the hardest part of the job – it’s being able to recognize all the players that are open. The execution at the end of the pass to the finish from Aden was nice as well.”
Throughout the fourth quarter, Harker maintained control of the match, keeping Gunn goalless while continuing to pile on points. Ossi Carrico (9) opened the quarter with an up-close finish following a play involving multiple passes, bringing the score to 14-5.
David reflected on the collective effort that made these goals possible.
“We played together as a team really well, and that’s what I attribute to our success today,” David said. “We’ve got great guys, and as long as we stick together and play for each other out there, we’ll do well.”
After Ossi’s goal, Adam netted a goal after a precise long assist from Alejandro. Off the counter, a push shot from Ian Cheline bounced off the post, but Ian rebounded the ball to score a backhand shot. Oskar Baumgarte (11) scored the final goal with a deft move around a defender, concluding the game 17-5 for the Eagles.
Following their victory, Adam praised the well-rounded performance of the team that allowed them to dominate Gunn.
“We did a really good job capitalizing on the counterattacks, and our defense was also really strong,” Adam said. “We did a good job shutting them down. Overall, everyone contributed and that’s how we pulled off our win.”
The team currently holds a 7-5 record and plays Fremont High School on Oct. 10.
