Brains and Brawn: Hastings' Luca Cobucci Proves Intellect Pays Off on the Field

Luca Cobucci concluded an illustrious four-year career at Hastings High School this fall and is now headed to top-tier liberal arts school Wesleyan University.

A 6-foot-4 quarterback who was tossed into the starting job the final three games of his freshman season, the all-section Cobucci threw for more yards than any other player in HHS history. 

Cobucci's potent arm, accuracy, ability to hit a wealth of receivers in stride, and proclivity for gobbling up yards on the ground—circumventing tacklers as if it was a 7-on-7 street game—helped catapult Hastings to a first-ever berth in the Section I/Class C championship game.

As a captain and a four-year starter, football consumed Cobucci in autumn. He worked through four years of notoriously brutal double sessions under the scorching summer sun. A three-sport athlete—Cobucci also plays basketball and baseball—winter and fall also proved physically and mentally taxing. Cobucci put in a great deal of work scouting opponents and breaking down film. With the added pressure of the recruiting process this fall, there have been few dull moments in this athlete's senior year.

Yet despite his daunting schedule, Cobucci has also been a standout student. His academics ran parallel to the success the Jackets achieved on the field during his senior season.

Longtime Hastings football coach Joe Vaccaro describes Cobucci as a calming influence who uses his intellect to the team's advantage on the field.

"Luca had a great handle on what everybody was doing as he ran the offense," Vaccaro said. "Not only did he know what the receivers and running backs were doing, he knew what most of the line assignments were and was able to help out everyone with the plays. He could point out pass protection and give great suggestions for plays as well. It was a luxury. His intellect really carries over from the classroom to the football field...He is truly a student-athlete."

After attending a slew of football camps over the summer, quarterback-receiver camps at Lafayette and Georgetown University, Cobucci was accepted into Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT.

Cobucci said he was sold on the institution’s prestigious academic reputation and the opportunity to prolong his football career.

“The most important decision in selecting Wesleyan was the academic opportunity,” he explained. “I believe Wesleyan is the best school [academically] I had a chance to go to, and I did not believe it was an opportunity I could waste. I also like the size of the school. It’s around 2,500 people, which is a perfect number for me, not too big or too small. I also liked its location. Middletown is a nice suburban town that is similar to Hastings, and the drive is only two hours so I could come home whenever I liked. I would definitely like to see some Hastings games next year, and since I will be so close, I think it’s definitely a possibility.”

Having proved himself as a mobile quarterback who could fire the deep ball and zip passes around the clock, Cobucci received plenty of  interest from potential Division-III gridiron homes such as Dickinson, Hobart, Rochester and St. Lawrence College. St. Lawrence was the program that plucked All-State linebacker Matt Manchester and All-State wide receiver Matt Sivright from Hastings High in 2004.

While a number of talented athletes helped alter the perception of a Hastings program that was once a second-class citizen to cross-town rival Dobbs Ferry, Cobucci's leadership certainly did not go unnoticed.

"Last year, Luca along with other captains instituted ‘captains practices’ during the winter," said Vaccaro. "Now, the upcoming seniors are doing the same thing. He just showed a tremendous work ethic and leadership. At the same time, he's pulling really good grades. Wesleyan is going to be a good fit for him."