![“[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 basketball defeated Del Mar High School 70-37 on Nov. 27 at Del Mar in their first pre-season game.
Co-captain and shooting guard Advay Monga (12) won the tip-off and forward Rohit Yalla (12) hooked in a layup to deliver the game’s first two points. The Eagles shot out to an early 8-2 lead by forcing numerous turnovers as Del Mar struggled to bring the ball down the court. Co-captain and shooting guard Bowen Xia (12) and point guard Gary Jin (12) converted these mistakes into layups. Maintaining their early momentum, Harker led 22-14 at the end of the first quarter.
Head Coach Alfredo Alves emphasized the Eagles’ new defensive philosophy before the game.
“We’re trying to play a lot faster than we did last year,” said Alves. “Full-court pressure is a new thing we’re doing this year as well. So we’ve made tweaks on defense and tonight will be the first game to see how the team does with them.”
Gary scored a triple from the corner to push the lead to 25-14 in the early possessions of the second quarter, but Harker’s offense stagnated after that. The Eagles attempted shots from beyond the arc but failed to convert most of them, allowing Del Mar to rebound and attack the paint. Although Del Mar crept back to a 27-22 deficit, Advay responded with two midrange fadeaways to keep the Eagles’ lead safe. Del Mar surged down the court trying to score the final points of the quarter, but Harker’s defense held strong to end the first half 31-22.
“The full-court press was really effective for us,” center Oliver Chen (11) said. “It was really hard for them to inbound the ball, so we got lots of steals and forced them to commit turnovers.”
In the third quarter, the Eagles’ defensive plan locked down Del Mar’s offense. Harker rebounded effectively and controlled the possession of the ball for the majority of the quarter. Guard Caden Ruan (11) intercepted a throw-in pass and Advay blocked multiple layup attempts. With more opportunities to score, guards Alan Gao (11) and Rishaan Thoppay (11) turned fast-break possessions into free throws and layups, making the game 44-27 midway through the third quarter. By holding Del Mar to just two points in the final two minutes of the quarter, Harker’s lead ballooned to 50-29.
The Eagles found open shots on the perimeter heading into the fourth quarter, with Gary and Alan each hitting 3-pointers and Rohit also boxing out for offensive rebounds. Harker’s offensive attack advanced the score to 59-31. Oliver and center David Li (11) contributed as well, drawing shooting fouls and hitting free throws. The game ended in a 70-37 victory for the Eagles.
David remarked on the difference between playing on Varsity and JV, especially with Varsity using more complex schemes and game plans.
“Varsity is definitely a lot tougher than JV,” David said. “We can’t afford to make as many mistakes as before, but we’ll be able to master the playbook with more in-game reps and practice.”
The team improves to a 1-0 overall record and plays American High School in the James Lick Tournament on Wednesday.
