Brain and Brawn: Dr. Joaquin Garcia LB Dominic Luchina Shines On and Off the Field

August 16, 2025
8:58 pm

On Friday night, Dr. Joaquin Garcia High School rolled to an 52–6 victory, and the defense nearly posted a shutout. One of the biggest reasons was team captain and senior linebacker Dominic Luchina, who finished the game with seven tackles, two tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery. His performance set the tone for a dominant night.

For Luchina, the success was no accident.

“All summer we were preparing in the weight room, getting stronger, getting faster, getting bigger,” he said. “Workouts started at 6:30 in the morning. No one puts in as much work as us, and we believe that.” That work ethic translated into a defensive game plan built on toughness and speed. “We knew they were going to run the ball,” Luchina explained. “We had to be thick up front, and linebackers had to fill fast. That’s what we did.”

Despite not playing organized football until the eighth grade, Luchina’s football IQ stands out. His father, Eric Luchina—who has coached for more than 20 years and is on the Garcia staff helped shape Dominic’s deep understanding of the game as he grew up immersed in football.

“The only way I was happy when I was young was being around football,” he said. “I try to know what’s coming before the plays do. I tell my guys: watch film. If you know tendencies, you’ll know the play. Whatever I see, I share with the whole defense. That’s why we come together as one unit.”

Dominic Luchina (left) and Eric Luchina (right)

Luchina doesn’t just excel on the field. With a 4.9 GPA, he ranks 5th in his senior class at a school of nearly 1,700 students, making him just as impressive in the classroom as he is under the lights on Friday night. “I grew up where you’ve got to get it done in the classroom first,” he said. “You’re a student-athlete and the student comes first.”

He also credits his coaches and school community for his success. “It’s amazing the fans, the culture,” he said. “When you hear Garcia, you know that blue turf, you know that culture. I think we’ve got the best coaching staff in the state of Florida, maybe the nation. They put us in the right spots and set us up for success.”

As the season progresses, one thing is clear Dominic Luchina is emerging as one of the county’s top players, determined to lead Dr. Joaquin Garcia High School to a district championship while building on last year’s impressive 8-3 campaign.