By Jimmy Allinder
Luke Jacobi knows all too well what it’s like to take a hit.
The rising senior has been the starting quarterback for the John P. Stevens High School football team since he was a sophomore and catcher for the baseball team since his freshman year. The 6-foot, 180-pounder knows collisions are part of both sports, but he also understands they are part of the games he plays.
“I’ve coached Luke since he was 7 years old,” J.P. Stevens baseball coach Dave Marzano said. “We tabbed him to be our starter behind the plate when he arrived at Stevens. I’ve never seen anybody block the plate better than Luke. He is willing to sacrifice his body for the team if necessary.”
Jacobi has also endured numerous hits, although not voluntarily, after two tumultuous seasons behind center as the Hawks’ signal-caller. J.P. Stevens finished 2-8 in 2014, 1-9 last fall and has not won a Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Red Division game since 2012.
Among the myriad of problems J.P. Stevens has encountered in recent seasons is preventing the avalanche of bigger and faster GMC Red Division defenders who regularly break through the line, causing Jacobi to run for his life. It’s a credit to Jacobi that in 2015, he completed 57 passes in 88 attempts for 578 yards and three touchdowns. Jacobi also rushed for 185 yards on 26 carries, scored two touchdowns, and was named the team’s most improved player.
Jacobi could not be blamed if he abandoned football as he gets set to begin his senior year in order to focus on the sport he enjoys most: baseball.
However, he plans to be back behind center because he loves his school and the competitive spirit that burns inside him, despite the likelihood he will again be targeted by enemy defenses. When the season ends — however it does — Jacobi will turn his focus to baseball and hopes to improve his already outstanding statistics.
Jacobi, one of the team’s co-captains, batted leadoff and caught every inning of every game in 2016, averaging .330 with 31 hits, five doubles, five triples, a home run and 10 RBIs. Jacobi was also named to the postseason GMC Red Division first team and was selected to play in the Diamond Nation Garden State and GMC underclassman games.
Jacobi served notice he would turn into one of the better backstops in the conference following a quality a sophomore year. He also caught every inning and batted .367 with 29 hits, five doubles, a triple, a home run, and nine RBIS. He scored a conference-leading 35 runs.
“Luke has been a reliable leadoff hitter since he joined us,” Marzano said. “He has good speed and knows how to drive the ball. The plan now is to make him our No. 3 hitter, and we expect him to be a leader and mentor for our younger players.”
Jacobi has already shown he can lead by the way he manages the game behind the plate.
“I think about the situation and then lock in with my pitcher,” he said. “That determines what pitch to call. It’s all about communication.”
Jacobi is being courted by a number of colleges to play baseball but hasn’t decided where he will matriculate. His grade-point average is 3.2 and among his many activities is being an honor student in the school’s Italian Club.
“My schoolwork and sports place a lot of demands on my time, but I try to keep myself organized and get [a lot] of work done in study hall,” he said. “After classes, I go to practice and then head home to eat dinner, finish schoolwork and study more. It’s always a busy day.”
Jacobi has also been involved in a variety of community volunteer work and enjoys music and spending time with family and friends. His father, Jack, has always been his coach for the recreational sports he has played and is his biggest fan, Jacobi says.
Jacobi’s mother, Johanna, has guided him through life’s tough situations, and her son says he wouldn’t know what to do without her. He has a brother, John, a sister, Jessie, and grandparents, Jack, Sr. and Mary Lou.
“I still remember my grandmother playing catch with me when I was 2 years old,” he said. “Those memories have built a foundation for what I’ve achieved, and I think about that all the time. My family has always encouraged me throughout my sports career and supported me throughout my career.
Even when he takes a hit.