![“[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 Los Altos High School 13-7 away on Thursday.
In the first quarter, Los Altos won the swim off to gain possession of the ball. After a steal from the Eagles, driver David He (9) scored a wing goal, bringing Harker an early 1-0 lead. Immediately after, Los Altos answered with a cross pass from two meters that leveled the score 1-1.
Just 40 seconds later, goalie Alejandro Cheline (12) made a block, launching a counterattack that led to a goal by driver Ian Cheline (11), bringing the score to 2-1. Both teams countered fast attacks with rapid steals for the next minute, where no points were scored.
“Despite Los Altos being a challenging opponent, we stayed disciplined in the game, and everybody had their moments to show up,” David said. “A major factor that led to our win was our communication within the pool, especially on defense, as everyone managed to recognize their own respective roles.”
Los Altos tested Harker with quick passes and outside shots. Los Altos scored from a set play to tie the score at 2-2, but Harker responded immediately with strong blocks. After another goal from Ian on the fast break, the first quarter ended 3-2.
To open the second quarter, Los Altos scored two consecutive goals to gain the advantage 3-4. Center defender Akash Dubey (11) drew a penalty, and driver Ossi Carrico (10) secured a goal to tie the game 4-4. Four minutes later, Ossi scored again with a long-range skip shot from 5 meters, putting Harker back in the lead 5-4 to end the second quarter
“It’s been great progress,” head coach Lee McBride said. “We’ve been beating good teams by larger margins, and that shows how much work we have been putting in training. I’m proud of the boys and the effort.”
In the third quarter, Los Altos managed to briefly close the gap, but Ossi hurled a backhand shot from four meters, scoring to bring the score to 6-5. The two teams exchanged back-and-forth goals, with the score securely in Harker’s direction at 9-6.
During the final minutes of the quarter, Los Altos brought their goalie on offense to create a seven-on-six advantage in an attempt to close down Harker’s lead, but Alejandro blocked the goalie’s shot and scored a full-court goal to end the quarter 10-6.
Harker began the final quarter with possession of the ball after winning the swim-off. Ian scored a lob to make the score 11-6. During a counterattack, the Eagles earned a power-play after a Los Altos ejection. Center defender Aman Chandra (12) caught a shot at two meters and a goal to continue Harker’s lead 12-7. Ian closed the match with a goal off of a transition play, securing the team win at 13-7.
Ossi believes that despite the team’s struggles against Los Altos in the beginning of the season, the team’s ability to adapt ultimately aided them in their victory.
“There was a lot of tension coming in because we were the underdogs, and they had some really good shooters that were hard to get past,” said sophomore Ossi Carrico. “However, we adjusted, and that’s what really made the game.”
The team holds an overall record of 14-7 and faces Palo Alto High School in their last league game on Thursday.
