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The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

Guard Claire Yu (10) prepares to pass the ball as a Cougar defends her. Claire scored two layups back to back in the second quarter during the CCS semifinals game.

Varsity girls basketball falters against Half Moon Bay 55-65 in CCS semifinals

by Tiffany Zhu and Ashley Mo February 27, 2024

The varsity girls basketball team succumbed to Half Moon Bay High School 55-65 in the CCS semifinals game on Feb. 22 at home.  Since home CCS games are rare, the event drew a large crowd of parents...

Co-captain Emily Mitnick (11) looks for the pass out of a double team. Emily made several shots to contribute to the Eagles' comeback.

Varsity girls basketball conquers King’s Academy in fourth quarter resurgence during CCS quarterfinals

by Katerina Matta and Kevin Zhang February 24, 2024

The girls varsity basketball team advanced to CCS semifinals in a comeback 53-38 win vs. King’s Academy at home on Feb. 20. Before the match, athletic director Dan Molin introduced players from...

Junior varsity boys basketball head coach Nick Nguyen ('15) addresses his players during half time. “I was confident in my ability to be able to coach Harker’s JV team,” Nguyen said. “Elsewhere, I would have been more hesitant and I think I would have had less of an impact than I could have here, which is what drew me to take the job."

Bouncing back: Former Harker basketball athlete returns to coach

by Emma Milner and Tiffany Zhu February 23, 2024

The junior varsity basketball team trails behind their opponents as the clock winds down in the final quarter. But the Eagles pick up the pace in the remaining minutes, ultimately winning the game by a...

An illustration of the March Madness brackets. March Madness is the most prominent college basketball competition in the year, concluding the season in a single-elimination style playoff tournament.

‘It’s not normal basketball’: March Madness is here

by Kevin Zhang, Co-Assistant Sports Editor March 8, 2023

The month of March traditionally marks the transition of turbulent winter weather into the warmer months of spring. But despite this seasonal change inviting us into the outdoors to appreciate a revival...

Zachary Blue (11) leaps up for a jump serve during varsity boys volleyball practice on March 6. The boys won their season opener against Menlo Atherton.

Winter sports come to a close, spring sports dive into season openers

by Emma Milner, Co-Assistant Sports Editor March 8, 2023

Varsity boys basketball, varsity girls basketball and varsity girls soccer closed out their seasons with Central Coast Section (CCS) games, while varsity boys soccer fell short of qualifying, losing 0-4...

LeBron James broke the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s all-time scoring record on Feb. 7, reaching a a total of 38,388 points in his storied career. In today’s professional sports column “Game Talk with Gabe,” Aquila Assistant Sports Editor Gabe Sachse discusses his thoughts on the "Greatest of all time" in basketball debate.

Who is the GOAT of basketball?

by Gabe Sachse, Co-Assistant Sports Editor March 3, 2023

LeBron James broke the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s all-time scoring record on Feb. 7, shooting a turnaround midrange jumper in the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder team, which...

Varsity boys basketball seniors Matthew Chen, Mike Sullivan, Abhi Namala, Gordon Chen, Rishi Cherukuri and KJ Williams pose for a group photo with their families and coaches.

Varsity boys basketball team smashes Eastside College Prep 62-40 on senior night

by Ella Yee February 18, 2023

The varsity boys basketball team coasted to a 62-40 victory over Eastside College Preparatory on Tuesday after their senior night ceremony at 6:30 p.m. During the ceremony, varsity boys basketball coach...

An illustration depicting various injuries that commonly occur within sports including a concussion, a strained meniscus and an ankle sprain. “Injuries are part of the game,” varsity boys basketball coach Alfredo Alves said. “Every injury [is] different, but the longer you're out, the longer you're away from playing, so just mentally, [players are] adjusting and understanding that it's going to take time.”

Searching for the silver lining: Athletes persevere through injuries

by Emma Milner and Hima Thota February 3, 2023

The past few months have brought some of the most eventful moments in sports, with audiences worldwide coming together under the universal interest for highly anticipated events such as the World Cup and...

Abhi Namala (12) pushes past Basis players to shoot. The team fell to Basis 51-60 on Jan. 5.

Varsity boys basketball team loses to Basis 51-60 in hard-fought game

by Emma Milner, Assistant Sports Editor January 12, 2023

The varsity boys basketball team fell to BASIS Independent Silicon Valley 51-60 during a home game on Jan. 5. Basis started off strong, with Harker trailing behind 4-11. The Eagles struggled to keep...

KJ Williams (12) points while playing with the varsity boys basketball team on Dec. 16. The team defeated Design Tech High School at home, with a score of 63-47.

Varsity boys basketball dominates Design Tech 63-47

by Emma Gao, Vika Gautham, and Olivia Xu December 30, 2022

The varsity boys basketball team defeated Design Tech High School 63-47 at home on Dec. 16.  The game started with Harker winning the tip-off, and they established a 16-10 lead by the end of the first...

Members on the girls basketball team clap as the Eagles score. The team clinched a tight victory over Independence High School during a home game on Dec. 17, with a final score of 46-36.

Girls basketball secures 46-36 victory over Independence High School in tense match

by Hima Thota, Assistant Sports Editor December 24, 2022

The girls varsity basketball team clinched a tight victory over Independence High School during a home game on Dec. 17, with a final score of 46-36.  The Eagles initially got off to a shaky start,...

Robert Rothbart bursts into celebration after beating Hapoel Jerusalem in the Israeli Winner Cup while playing for Hapoel Tel Aviv. Rothbart graduated from the Harker middle school in 2000 and has played professional basketball for several European teams since.

From a fourth grader’s dream to a professional basketball career

by Emma Milner, Assistant Sports Editor December 18, 2022

“I want to be a professional basketball player.”  As a fourth grader, Robert Rothbart, who graduated from the Harker middle school in 2000, already knew what he wanted to become. From his time...

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