Mercer Island High School head football coach Ed Slezinger lets the words flow like a well-oiled offensive machine when describing his senior slot receiver Luke Shavey.

“Luke is a special young man. He embodies all that you want in your student-athlete: drive, heart, desire, effort, dedication to his craft, and team-first mindset,” the coach said.

Whether he’s carrying a backpack or toting a gym bag, Shavey’s got dignity and integrity tucked away in there as part of his overall game plan as well.

“He knows exactly who he is, what he wants for himself, and how he wants to be seen/known by others,” Slezinger added.

Shavey will pack his bags in the fall to attend the Colorado School of Mines. He’s interested in studying civil engineering and will also be involved with the school football program. Since the Orediggers only played a few scrimmages in 2020 due to COVID, seniors are allowed an extra year of eligibility and the team has limited roster spots for newcomers. Therefore, Shavey will get a feel for the program as a team manager in the fall and can walk on in the roster realm next spring.

In the present day, the Islanders were 2-1 at press time in the truncated four-game season. Shavey said he wouldn’t play in the final two games after sustaining an injury to his left knee in the locals’ 21-20 overtime loss to Liberty on March 20.

Just before halftime in the home game, Shavey snagged a solid “dime” of a pass from quarterback Eli Fahey and made it 66 yards down field to the 1-yard line with a cramped-up left leg. When a Liberty defender tackled Shavey from behind, the Islander hurt his knee after connecting with the turf. He’s scheduled for an MRI to get his leg checked out.

After football was sidelined for seven months, Shavey enjoyed his time back with the Islanders.

“It’s really great to see everyone out on the field,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for a while. The anticipation was pretty big.”

Shavey added that having some noisy student fans in one section of the stands at the March 20 home game enlivened the atmosphere.

* The Reporter asked Shavey a series of questions to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into his life:

How have you spent your time during COVID?

I have more time, so I can read a bit more and I’ve also played a bit more video games.

What’s your favorite movie of all time?

“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”

What’s your dream vacation spot?

I went to Hawaii a few years ago and I really liked it there, so I think that would be my dream vacation spot, just going back.

What superpower would you like to have?

I’ll probably go with flight, just ‘cause it’s cool to fly around, and it would definitely be easier to get around. I don’t have to drive. If there’s traffic, I could just fly above it. That would be nice.

If you could go to dinner with one person, who would that be?

I would go with my family.

What makes you laugh?

My teammates.

What type of music do you listen to?

Just rock music and stuff.

What special skill would you like to learn?

If I had the time and patience, I’d like to learn how to play the piano. It would be pretty nice if I could just sit down and play some cool piano pieces. It takes a lot of time, for sure.