Reprinted from the Harker Quarterly March 2010 issue

Lower and Middle School Basketball: Coached by Greg Lawson, the Gr. 8 varsity A team improved defensively over the season, but had difficulty scoring. The team finished the season 3-7, with wins against Pinewood, Crystal Springs and Woodside Priory. The seventh-graders had much more depth than Gr. 8, with enough players to field three teams. The Gr. 7 varsity B1 team finished league play 7-0, making them league champs! The Gr. 7 varsity B2 team finished 3-4, and the Gr. 7 varsity B3 team finished 1-6. The Gr. 6 boys junior varsity A team overcame the setback of injured players through good student leadership, finishing strong in league play. Coach Walid Fahmy said, “Look out for these boys as they move on to seventh grade!” The boys ended the season 2-7. Coach Mousa Katwan credits the camaraderie of the Gr. 5 JV B1 team for a strong finish. “Strong play down low from Alex Mo gave us an advantage on offense, while the strength and heart of Nicolas Bean on defense stopped opposing teams’ efforts. Overall the boys learned a lot and grew together while having fun,” Katwan said. The team ended the season with a 4-5 record. Coaches Tobias Wade and David Ramos both enjoyed the season with the Gr. 5 B2 team. Wade reported, “Our boys practiced and played hard, and it was a learning experience for them.” Everyone improved throughout the season and the team ended with a 2-7 record. The Gr. 4 JV C team had only two days of practice before the team’s first game but, reported coach and lower school P.E. teacher Jim McGovern, “The boys jelled quickly and worked on playing an exciting fast-break style of basketball.” Although their season record was 3-5, the boys came close to flipping those numbers as two losses were only by one point each. McGovern added,“I look forward to the      continued effort and love for the game by this group of players.” The girls Gr. 4-5 basketball team had a fantastic season. The JV B1 team, which finished one game shy of a perfect season before tournament play, led the charge. The JV B2 team truly enjoyed the spirit of competition and the fun they had with their teammates. Finally, the JV team also enjoyed spirited contests and the thrill of victory following exciting back-to-back wins.

Soccer: The junior varsity B boys soccer team had a fantastic season, with exciting victories against Crystal Springs, Pinewood and St. Joseph’s Sacred Heart. At press time, the team was 4-1 in league and second place in the standings. The team was led by Nikolas Weisbloom, Kedar Gupta and Joseph Krackeler, all Gr. 5. The intramural boys Gr. 4-5 soccer team learned a lot about their sport and had a lot of fun with their teammates and coach Jim McGovern. The team was led by Nirban Bhatia, Rohit Shah and Shaya Zarkesh, all Gr. 4. Girls varsity A soccer had an exciting season, coach Chrissy Chang reported. “We faced many tough opponents but were still able to put the ball in the back of the net, and every player contributed to our awesome soccer season.” The team had individuals who played outstanding offense and defense, and they ended the season 2-5. Coach Justin “Sully” Sullivan was impressed with the vast improvement of the girls Gr. 7 varsity B team, which showed in their strong finishes of their final four games. They won two of the four and nearly earned a draw in another. Excellent goaltending was an important part of the team’s improvement, and Sullivan complimented several players for their particularly strong play and excellent hustle. The season ended 2-5, and with several players returning, next year’s soccer season looks to be an exciting one. Despite the 1-5 record of the Gr. 6 JV A team, coach Cyrus Merrill was impressed with the strength and growth of his team. “The ladies played even with a number of the teams in the league and surprised many of them with early goals and strong play,” he said. The girls enjoyed practicing next to the upper school girls soccer team at Blackford this season. The Gr. 5 JV B team finished 5-0-1 to take the league championship, making it back-to-back league championships for the Gr. 5 girls softball and soccer teams this year. Coach Casey Henderson credited fearless goalkeeping and added, “The girls demonstrated a wide variety of skills and enthusiasm during the season.”

Upper School Basketball: The varsity boys basketball team had a strong season that included a historic win against Sacred Heart Prep in Prep’s gym. They ended the regular season with a remarkable 20-4 overall record and 12-2 league record, securing second place in the league. In CCS play, the boys played Stevenson at the Blackford gym after securing the sixth seed but lost to Santa Cruz 56-44 in the CCS quarterfinals. The JV boys ended their season as WBAL champions! The team had a 20-2 overall record and was 11-1 in league. Girls basketball ended their season with an overtime loss to playoff-bound King’s Academy and a loss at Mercy-Burlingame over the break. The girls were  competitive in every game this season and were actually one non-league win away from qualifying for CCS. They ended the season 7-14.

Boys soccer had a great season, coming close to making it to CCS. They faced Menlo School in the league finals where they lost 2-1, just missing CCS qualification. For a squad that started as many as eight freshmen per game, it was a remarkable season, and ended 8-8-2 overall.

Girls soccer ended their season with a loss to Mercy-San Francisco 2-1. This committed group of young ladies ended the season 2-5-3 in league play, was competitive in every match and showed improvement throughout the season.

Wrestling: Although wrestling meets are team events, individuals, rather than teams, proceed to league championships and CCS finals. This year three wrestlers made it to CCS finals and one, Santosh Swaminathan, Gr. 11, made Harker history by taking fifth place in the 103-pound weight class, the first Harker to medal at CCS.