![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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 defeated Andrew Hill High School 71-46 in an away game on Friday.
Andrew Hill took the tip and made a three-point shot, granting an early lead. After guard Eric Zhang (9) banked a three in retaliation, the Eagles tied the score 3-3. Guards Ethan Xu (9) and Noe Parra (9) scored three pointers, putting the Eagles into a 9-5 lead. Andrew Hill called a timeout to regroup, but a three from guard Joey Diffenderfer (10) and a floater from Eric built the lead to 14-5. A few free throws and a layup from the Falcons closed the gap to 14-9, and the quarter closed with Harker up 16-11.
“The JV team came in with a lot of energy and determination,” spectator and varsity player Tyler Wang (11) said. “They stayed aggressive throughout the game and kept building their lead as it went on. It was fun to watch them play with confidence and take control for a dominant dub.”
Exploding into the second quarter, center Rishik Sehgal (10) and guard Kayvion Cruz (10) scored layups, pushing the score to 26-16. The Eagles continued their hot streak with Eric scoring a floater, Ethan hitting a layup and Joey banking a three, concluding the half with the Eagles up 33-22. Assistant Coach Bryan Gatchalian reflected on the team’s performance.
“I thought we moved the ball a lot better today than in previous games,” Gatchalian said. “There was more communication on the floor, and that showed up in our spacing and decision-making. When we’re talking and sharing the ball like that, we’re a much better team.”
Andrew Hill opened the third quarter with a three, and both teams traded baskets for most of the period. Joey and Kayvion answered consistently with quick layups in transition and midrange jumpers, keeping Harker in control. With two minutes left in the quarter, Eric and forward Aditya Gupta (9) made back to back steals, which the Eagles converted into transition layups to gain momentum into the fourth quarter. Harker closed the quarter with a sixteen point lead, 57-41.
Harker continued to pull ahead in the fourth quarter. Joey powered through two defenders for an and-one finish, and Kayvion followed with two layups, putting the Eagles up 64-41. The Eagles continued their pressure, stringing together stops into transition opportunities, leading to a three and a layup from guard Eshaan Saraff (9) to bring the score to 71-43. Andrew Hill scored a three in the last minute of the game, but the Eagles won 71-46.
“It was great to bounce back after our loss against Mountain View last Wednesday,” forward Mason Chang (9) said. This wasn’t a tough game, and we won as we should’ve, but there are definitely things we can take away and improve on for the next game, such as perimeter defense and communication.”The Eagles currently hold a record of 5-2 and will play Monte Vista Christian away tomorrow.
