What will ‘Schil’ say next?
Social media can be a funny thing.
The players on the Newport Harbor High girls’ water polo team definitely get a kick out of it.
Some of the Sailors are on Twitter. This year, they have created a funny account, “Things Schil Says” (@thingsschilsays).
The tweets sent out are quotes from Newport Harbor junior center Elissia Schilling. A warning: many of them are, shall we say, of the “colorful” variety, though certain words are creatively spelled.
I won’t repeat any of the tweets here, but it’s clear the Sailors get a kick out of it. It’s a sort of spinoff of the account “[Stuff] My Dad Says,” which has nearly three million followers.
“Things Schil Says” currently has just 22 followers, many of them members of the team.
“Maddy [McLaren] has it on her phone, but it’s a team effort,” junior Avery Peterson said, laughing, regarding who runs the account. “[Schilling] is very quotable.”
Schilling does not post from the account, but she’s definitely in on the joke. She also laughs when “Things Schil Says” is brought up.
“I don’t know,” Schilling said. “It’s those early mornings where you wake up and you’re just so delirious.”
Schilling has nine goals, nine steals and three assists this year for Newport Harbor (5-3). She is fourth on the team in scoring.
In terms of providing laughs, though, she might be the leader in the clubhouse.
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Newport Harbor girls’ water polo opens Sunset League play Wednesday night against Fountain Valley, at home at 6:05 p.m. The Sailors have also tremendously benefited from the play of sophomore goalie Cleo Harrington in the early season.
Harrington — the only sophomore on the team — does not look the part. She is composed in goal and made some impressive saves during the Holiday Cup last weekend, helping the Sailors finish fourth.
Through the Sailors’ first eight games, Harrington already has 79 saves. She has reached double digits in four of Newport Harbor’s last five games.
“I don’t think you can say one negative thing about Cleo, in the pool and out of the pool,” Schilling said. “She’s the nicest person I think I’ve ever met, and her work ethic is great ... You can definitely tell Cleo wants to win and she’ll do whatever it takes.”
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Next week is a big one for girls’ water polo in the Newport-Mesa area. Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor head to the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions on Jan. 13-14. A schedule has yet to be released, but the TOC traditionally boasts arguably the strongest field of the three in-season tournaments the Back Bay rivals will play.
The other two local teams, rivals Costa Mesa and Estancia, open Orange Coast League play against each other Jan. 11 at the Mustangs’ pool.
The first league game is key. The league is only guaranteed three spots into the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs, and Laguna Beach is the heavy favorite to yet again win the league title.
Last year Costa Mesa and Estancia both made CIF after finishing second and third in league, respectively.
Junior Ilene Umansky leads Coach Jennifer Broderick’s Eagles (7-6) — and Orange County — in scoring with 76 goals.
Junior Kellie Thorsness, who led Mesa in scoring last year as a sophomore, is again a top player for Coach Tim Postiff’s Mustangs (6-6). The Mustangs have also been receiving strong goaltending from a sophomore, Kaitlyn Hill. They head north to the Arroyo Grande tournament on Thursday.
Twitter: @mjszabo
