![“[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)
Junior varsity boys basketball succumbed to King’s Academy 38-54 in the Zhang Gymnasium on Feb. 18 in their last season game.
Each team struggled to score in the first minute of the game due to multiple turnovers. The Knights soon took an early 4-0 lead, but point guard Crichton Rockwell (9) responded with a three-pointer, narrowing the gap to 3-4.
Power forward Arav Vuppala (10) scored a layup, but the Knights surged ahead to a 14-5 lead after sinking back-to-back three-pointers. A drive and an and-one finish by guard Daniel Zhu (10) helped cut the deficit to 8-14, but another Knights three-pointer ended the first quarter with Harker trailing 8-17.
Although the Eagles lagged behind offensively in the first quarter, head coach Nick Nguyen (‘15) praised the team’s tenacity.
“We have the potential to play at a very high level, but we just need to apply it to all facets of the game at all times,” Nguyen said. “We didn’t let down and we didn’t give up. That’s what I like about this team.”
In the second quarter, the Eagles focused on their defensive strategies, with center Rishik Sehgal (9) contesting shots and securing key defensive rebounds. Following a Harker timeout, consecutive blocks from Arav and Daniel allowed Harker to build offensive momentum. A layup from Crichton and two free throws from guard Michael Jin (9) concluded the first half at 16-25.
Rishik attributed Harker’s improvement to their heavier emphasis on defensive plays.
“In the second quarter we played better because we had good rebounding,” Rishik said. “A key takeaway from this game is to play more help defense, get more rebounds, and be more disciplined overall.”
A Knight’s and-one layup at the start of the third quarter and a mid-range jumper from Arav in response brought the score up to 18-28. However, multiple misses in a row from the Eagles allowed the Knights to extend their lead to 37-20. A back and forth exchange between the two teams, with Daniel and point guard Cam Krause (10) each drilling threes, ended the third quarter at 28-43.
To start the fourth quarter, Crichton knocked down a three-pointer off the dribble, bringing Harker to 31-46. Daniel followed up with another three off Arav’s assist, further cutting down the Knights’ lead. Despite a three from guard Kanav Gupta (9) and a free throw from Michael, two consecutive mid-range shots from the Knights closed out the game at 38-54.
Daniel appreciated the team’s ability to play with determination and reflected on the team’s improved offensive efficiency in the fourth quarter.
“We kept fighting even though we went down early,” Daniel said. “We were down nine points in the first quarter, but after that we didn’t give up, and we continued to play well.”
The team ended their season with an overall record of 7-12.
![Sophomore Jessie Cao strikes a pose. “That feeling when you get a new skill, when you feel yourself improving on something you struggle with or when you overcome a mental block [is] really rewarding,” Jessie said. “As long as you push yourself and think you're trying your hardest, that's what matters the most.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/250918_jessiecaoapex_AshleyM_1-2-727x1200.jpg)
