![“[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 girls basketball triumphed over Sacred Heart Preparatory 59-21 in the CCS Division IV quarterfinal in Zhang Gymnasium on Tuesday.
Center Emily Mitnick (12) won the tip-off for Harker, and shooting guard Finley Ho (10) scored the game’s first points with a three-pointer. Harker surged ahead with a three pointer and an elbow bank shot from Finley and shooting guard Claire Yu (11), but Sacred Heart responded with two layups of their own, bringing the Gators ahead 5-6. The Eagles picked up the pace, ending the quarter on a 13 point run as point guard Isabella Lo (12) and Emily picked up steals to create layups, ending the first quarter 18-8.
Winning turnovers off of Sacred Heart’s shots, Harker continued their momentum into the second quarter, capitalizing off of fast break points. Claire led the Eagle’s offensive effort with three three-pointers, and point guard Jillian Chen (9) drew multiple free throws to bring Harker’s lead to 40-15 at halftime.
“We were aggressive on both offense and defense which allowed us to make many steals and convert them to points on the other side,” Claire said. “Our communication and ball movement was better. Everyone was running to their spots, going to corners, cutting, running the lanes, and that helped open up a lot of shots for us.”
Sacred heart started the third quarter strong with a quick layup, but the Eagles responded with Isabella draining seven straight points. Harker defenders stayed tight on the Gator attackers, only allowing Sacred Heart three points throughout the quarter for a 56-18 advantage.
Claire knocked down a free throw to open the fourth quarter, and Jillian made a midranger less than one minute in, but soon after both teams came to a standstill. Shooting guard Alicia Yan (11) rebounded the Gators’ shots to prevent scoring opportunities, locking down their opponents’ offense. Only conceding three points throughout the final quarter, the Eagles secured the victory over Sacred Heart 59-21 to advance to the CCS semifinal.
Jillian attributed her confidence on the court during her first season on the varsity girls basketball team to the uplifting environment the players foster.
“All my teammates and my coaches have trusted me, and that’s something I really appreciate,” Jillian said. “And honestly, it just comes down to that. I feel great playing this big role, but over everything, I just appreciate the trust everyone has.
Isabella’s mother Allie Chen reflected on how the team has grown since the beginning of the season.
“Before the game, I was really nervous because we’ve never played SHP this year and last year they moved to the upper division,” Chen said. “Compared to earlier games, today they played really mature and very calm and turned out a good result.”
The team moved on to secure a 55-45 victory against Half Moon Bay High School in the CCS Division IV semifinal against Half Moon Bay High School on Thursday. With an overall record of 22-3, they will next compete in the final against Menlo at Mission College tomorrow.
