![“[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 secured a 68-56 win over Andrew Hill High School on Dec. 20 in the Zhang Gymnasium.
Forward Vyom Vidyarthi (12) won the opening tip, and guard Rishaan Thoppay (11) scored first with a lay-up. The Falcons inflicted turnovers in response, stealing the ball three times and scoring nine straight points 3 minutes into the game.
Picking up tempo for the Eagles, shooting guard Alan Gao (11) hit two consecutive three-pointers to tighten the lead. After a Harker timeout, the two teams traded buckets until the quarter finished with the Eagles trailing 12-16.
After the second quarter began, the Eagles effectively implemented an aggressive backcourt press to force the Falcons into turnovers. Forward Rohit Yalla (12) intercepted a pass and made a behind-the-back dish to point guard Bowen Xia (12) for a layup as Harker went on a 22-2 run to open the quarter. Sitting at a 34-18 lead with 4:39 left in the half, the Eagles kept up the momentum, as shooting guard Caden Ruan (11), Rohit and Bowen led a spark-plug lineup while Andrew Hill failed to respond, extending the lead 43-29 at halftime.
“We were playing really well on defense—making sure we were taking good risks and forcing turnovers on the other side,” Alan said. “On offense, we were swinging the ball quickly and getting a lot of good shots.”
Coming out of halftime, the Eagles continued passing around the perimeter to find open shots. Alan hit a corner three-pointer, and Bowen picked up a wide-open layup off an assist from shooting guard Lucas Huang (9) to bring the score to 46-30. However, Andrew Hill drew many shooting fouls throughout the quarter and crept back to a 38-48 deficit with three minutes left in the quarter. Bowen responded with a free throw and guard Nolan Chen (12) pitched in with a close-range jumper. Andrew Hill scored the last points of the quarter with a free throw and a putback layup, putting the game at 41-51.
Harker struggled on both ends of the court at the beginning of the final quarter, as Andrew Hill scored 13 straight points from three-pointers and forced passing turnovers. The Eagles fell behind for the time since the second quarter 51-54 until Alan sank a corner three-pointer to tie it up with 5:06 left.
With two minutes left on the clock, Lucas re-energized both the team and the crowd with a triple, steal and euro step layup in the span of 10 seconds, pushing the Eagles’ lead back to 59-54. Andrew Hill fouled out Lucas and hit two free throws in response. However, Alan drained another three-pointer, and Rohit flipped in an alley-oop from Caden and scored a fast-break layup in the final minute.
“The varsity team’s performance was really good, but it definitely came in flashes,” spectator and former varsity boys basketball player Abhi Namala (‘23) said. “We finished strong with Lucas and Rohit, and everyone brought the energy. What differentiates us in the end was our defense, our press and the amount of steals we got.”
With the team falling short of three players due to illnesses or injuries, head coach Alfredo Alves commended the team’s ability to adjust their lineup and play with a collective mindset, rather than focusing on boosting individual stats.
“They’re playing really well as a team,” Coach Alves said. “They’re sharing the ball. They’re playing really unselfishly and setting each other up. From day one until today, that’s been our focus and they’re definitely doing it well.”
The team holds a record of 4-4 and travels to face Greenfield High School next on Jan 4.
