Corelli Puts On a Performance a Mother Can Love

Rachel Corelli has experienced many sparkling moments in a brilliant three-year career, foremost among them her performance Saturday in Alemany High’s 56-51 victory over Bishop Montgomery that brought with it a Southern Section Division II-A girls’ basketball title.

But the victory paled in comparison to the triumph Corelli felt after the game when her mother Julie greeted her with a bouquet of flowers and a big hug.

She told Rachel: “Congratulations, you did a really good job.”

Those simple words spoke volumes.

Corelli, a 5-foot-3 senior point guard, moved away from home in June because of communication problems with her mother. Julie and Rachel resumed talking only a month ago.

Rachel, 18, has lived the past nine months with close friends Ken and Ellen Sears while trying to reconcile with her mother. Corelli plans to move back home in the spring.

Corelli’s parents divorced when she was 7 and though she has maintained a close relationship with her father, she has struggled to build a rapport with her mother.

Corelli credits the Sears family, Coach Melissa Melton and friend Dawn Silman, who also lives with the Searses, for helping her deal with her problems.

“In the beginning, it was easy to leave because there was so much tension,” Corelli said. “After the basketball season is over, I’m ready to go back and do my part to make things better.”

Basketball has served as a welcome diversion.

Corelli, an intense, emotional person, has been able “to channel that energy in a positive way,” Melton said.

Corelli has averaged 12.6 points, three steals and three assists for the Indians (25-4). On defense, her intensity forces opponents into rushing shots and making bad passes, and her teammates look to her for both confidence and leadership.

“On a team that has a lot of finesse players, Rachel is a different type of player,” Melton said. “She is not afraid of anyone. She causes people problems because she is so physical.”

Opponents have known Corelli is the essence of the Indians since she earned most-valuable-player honors in the San Fernando Valley League as a sophomore.

“Rachel Corelli is a headache,” Bishop Montgomery Coach Cedric Hurt said after Saturday’s final. “She is a pain. With her quickness, she gives you trouble.”

Corelli has saved some of her best efforts for Bishop Montgomery, Alemany’s chief rival in the Mission League. She scored 28 points in a 63-52 win over the Knights on Feb. 4 that keyed the Indians’ rush to the league championship. And she scored 14 of her game-high 18 points in the pivotal second half in the section final.

Opponents, including Bishop Montgomery, have tried to distract Corelli with taunting and physical play, according to Melton. But those strategies have backfired this season.

“As a younger player I struggled with that,” Corelli said. “But I’ve learned to control my emotions and not retaliate.”

Corelli has helped Alemany in other ways too. She played on a summer-league team with freshmen Samantha Rigley and Kelly McKay and persuaded them to attend Alemany. She then served as an on-court role model as Rigley and McKay developed into key performers.

Junior college basketball is on the horizon for Corelli, who plans to attend either Pierce or Valley in the fall.

Corelli will leave Alemany with treasured memories, none more special than Saturday’s encounter with her mother.