It’s punch time
for teen boxer

By Melissa Yerkov
Times Sports Editor

While other 14-year-olds are working on their tans this summer, Luke Jacoby is working for the gold.
The teen boxer recently earned the 2007 Junior Olympic Lightweight championship title. The competition, held in Wilmington, Del., saw the best boxers throughout the tri-state area go head to head in a battle for the crown.
"It was an incredible experience," said Jacoby. "The final match was so cool. I was pretty confident going in there."
His win capped a long, hard year of training. The 132-pound, 5-foot-11 Jacoby had to endure vigorous workouts before he even thought about stepping into the ring.
"The most challenging part is the preparation," he said. "You have to do it, and even though some days you really don’t feel like it, you still have to work out. I work out three hours every day, five days a week. At the end of that, I do a two-and-a-half-mile run. It’s hard in the summer too because it’s hot and I want to go down the shore, but I can’t. This is too important."
"My favorite part of boxing is the determination," he explained. "In boxing, everyone has each other’s respect."
Jacoby’s perseverance is rewarding him with success in his young boxing career. Although the Tacony resident first strapped on a pair of boxing gloves just 12 months ago, he’d already been a regular at the ring.
"My brother first got me interested in boxing," said Jacoby. "He boxed for about three years. This was back in the day when I was younger, but I liked watching him compete. He had a couple great fights. After watching him box, I wanted to try it out and ended up really liking it."
These days, Luke’s older brother, John, 21, no longer is throwing punches. He’s a carpenter in the family business. But he can be found at ringside, cheering on his younger brother.
"My brother was a big influence when I started boxing," said Luke. "He showed me a lot and introduced me to my trainers."
Luke trains with Mike Milloy and Jim Lowry at the Harrowgate Boxing Club in Kensington — the same trainers who worked with his older brother.
"My brother helped me a lot . . . but the rest was Jimmy and Mike," said Luke. "I’m really glad to be at Harrowgate too. There are a lot of great athletes there. It’s cool to be able to spar with each other, then talk afterward about what we did right and wrong."
His boxing skills have hooked Luke an impressive entourage of support. But his biggest fans have been there since the beginning.
"My family keeps me motivated," the teen said. "My dad is a huge help. He makes sure everything is ready. And my mom is very supportive. She comes to all of my fights, and that helps tremendously. I feel like I fight better when I feel supported."
Once he steps into the ring, Luke Jacoby has only one thing on his mind — his opponent.
"I always try to read the fighter," said Luke. "What is he going to do next? Should I duck and come back with something? I try to concentrate and get my game plan together. My brother reads fighters real well, so he’s very helpful."
In the year that Jacoby has spent in the ring, he already has developed some signature moves. Though just 14, he has participated in some prestigious events, including the annual Golden Gloves of America amateur boxing tournament, a competition that hosts the best athletes in the country.
Jacoby wasn’t very successful at the Golden Gloves, but that didn’t discourage him. He used the experience to refine his skill for future competitions.
In fact, he’s already thinking about the next big moment.
"Next year there’s a big tournament in Las Vegas, called the Ring Side World," said Jacoby. "There are over three-thousand kids there. And I want to be there. If you win that you win a belt."
Fighters from throughout the country will attend the tournament. And depending on how many competitors enter Jacoby’s weight class, he could be fighting as many as four days in a row.
He doesn’t seem too worried.
"I’m pretty confident," said Jacoby. "I’m working hard every day for this."
His hard work has earned the student athlete a partial scholarship to Father Judge High School, which he’ll be attending in the fall. The scholarship was made possible by the Veteran Boxing Association. John Gallagher — who co-owns the Harrowgate Boxing Club with Charlie Sgrillo — introduced Jacoby to the organization.
"We are so grateful to the Veteran Boxing Association," said Jacoby. "I’m so excited to go to Judge in the fall."
Jacoby also is a big fan of wrestling, and he has taken part in the sport for six years. He hopes to be part of the wrestling team at Father Judge.
"I’m excited for Judge’s wrestling," said Jacoby. "I’ve always had two passions — boxing and wrestling. And now I’m trying to continue both.
"As far as boxing goes, I plan to stick with it for a few more years," he added. "I have more fights coming up. I’m going to try to do it for two more years . . . maybe I can do more."
Once his days in the ring have ended, Luke Jacoby plans to eventually join the family business and become a carpenter.
"My grandpop, father and brother are all carpenters," he said. "It’s a family thing. But before that, my goal is to win a national title in boxing."
He can see it all now.
"The best part is having your hand raised at the end of a match — it’s the best thing in the world," he said of the victory ritual. "That’s when everything pays off." ••
Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com