![“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 Monte Vista Christian 63-46 in an away game on Friday.
Harker took the opening tip and immediately set the tone on offense. Guard Ethan Xu (9) drove the ball up the court and scored, giving the Eagles an early 2-0 lead. Ethan then found center Rishik Sehgal (10) in the key to score again. Harker followed up with a steal and Rishik made another two-point shot to bring the score to 6-0.
Rishik intercepted another pass and scored. After a brief timeout, the Mustangs scored on a rebound, closing the gap 8-2. Despite guard Eric Zhang (9)’s missed layup, Rishik secured the rebound and scored. A swift pass from Ethan allowed Eric to sink a two-point shot, and a layup from forward Mason Chang (9) helped Harker surge ahead 14-2. Both teams missed shots, and the Eagles closed off the first quarter with a 17-6 lead.
“From the start, the JV team was really aggressive,” spectator David Li (12) said. “They forced a lot of turnovers early and did a great job turning those steals into easy points in transition, which helped them build momentum right away.”
The Mustangs opened the second quarter with increased intensity, scoring two layups to close the gap 19-10. Eric was fouled and made one free throw shot, and point guard Kayvion Cruz (10) followed with a layup to build Harker’s lead 22-10. Monte Vista capitalized on two steals to narrow the gap 22-15, but guard Joey Diffenderfer (10) responded with the Eagles’ first three-pointer of the game. After a Harker timeout, both teams continued to score back and forth, and a final offensive push from the Eagles helped them close off the second quarter leading 28-21.
“We played defense well in the 2nd half; that’s what really set us apart and built our lead,” head coach Nick Ngyuen said. “We were patient looking to push the ball and find the best shot on offense. We made the extra passes and always found the open teammates. It was a great team effort: being in the right spots, playing together as a team and helping each other when needed”
Harker immediately scored a three-pointer to begin the third quarter. Consistent defensive pressure led to fouls on both ends, and free throw shots pushed the score to 35-23. Rishik scored off a layup, and Kayvion’s pass to Mason resulted in another two-pointer, extending Harker’s lead 39-23. Both teams traded baskets in the final two minutes, and the Eagles ended the third quarter with a 43-25 lead.
In the final quarter, Harker continued to dominate. Joey opened up the period with a strong layup through contact, and Mason added two baskets in transition. The Mustangs built momentum through two consecutive stops into layups, but the Eagles pushed back with their defense, amassing a 57-39 lead. Monte Vista Christian found success driving to the basket, but Harker consistently fought back, including two free throws from Kayvion to push the score to 63-44. Monte Vista made a couple of free throws in the final minute, but the Eagles secured a 63-46 victory. Guard Alex Zhu (9) reflected on the team’s performance.
“We need to shoot better and improve our press defense,” Alex said. “The main reason they came back a bit was because we kept overcommitting and playing for steals instead of staying in front. Overall, we did good, we came out strong and played aggressive especially in the 2nd half.”
The Eagles currently hold a 6-2 record and will face Capuchino High School at home on Wednesday.
