The Mercer Island High School football program celebrated six of it’s players who will be playing the game in college in the fall.

The Islanders held a ceremony on Wednesday, May 29 to honor the players. Alec Bean will attend Oberlin College in Ohio, while Alex Emanuels will be playing for Cornell University in New York. Brian Rauzi will attend Pomona College in California, while Risley Lesko will play for Colgate University. Sean Pyne will play for Caremont McKenna College, and Zach Bucklin will play for Lehigh University.

Bean said he chose Oberlin because of it’s academic reputation, but also because of the football program and that he will be able to play early in his college career. For Emanuels, his favorite moment of playing at Mercer Island was beating Ferndale in the playoffs.

Rauzi said Pomona College was his choice for the academics and the athletics program. Lesko picked Colgate as a great liberal arts school, and the chance to play Division I AA football. Claremont McKenna was the choice of Pyne for the academics it offers, but also because of it’s beautiful campus and football program.

Bucklin said his favorite thing about playing for Mercer Island was the support he and his family received from the team and the community as a whole after his mother died.

The six players heading to play in college next fall is the highest number from one class at Mercer Island.