Matt Houy is a team player.

The Monroeville resident and 2005 Gateway graduate is pleased that his Washington & Jefferson football team again is one of the top Division III squads in the nation.

The Presidents are ranked No. 2 in the Sporting News College Football 2008 magazine and No. 5 in the Lindy's College Football Preview publication.

The program is 29-5 over the past three seasons and has made the NCAA playoffs each year.

Last season, the Presidents went 10-1 and won the PAC championship.

A big part of W&J's run in 2007 was the play of Houy, a rising senior and anchor of the offensive line.

His play on the field has earned him preseason first-team All-American honors from The Sporting News and Lindy's.

"It's nice to be honored," Houy said.

"To be honest, I'm more flattered about the recognition the team is getting."

Houy was a D3football.com honorable mention All-America selection in 2007.

He also earned first-team All-PAC, All-ECAC and All-South Region honors.

Houy helped the Presidents' offense finish second in the nation with a school-record average of 518.7 yards per game.

W&J also finished fourth in the country in scoring offense with 46.2 points per contest.

Presidents' senior quarterback Bobby Swallow is a pre-season second-team All-American choice by Lindy's.

Houy said the team can also move the ball with the running game.

"When I got here, we were a pass-heavy team," Houy said.

"We have a strong passing game with a pretty talented quarterback. The offensive line prides itself in allowing our offense to run the ball effectively."

That offensive line is anchored by Houy at right guard, as well as fellow senior Dave Bucar, a Penn-Trafford graduate who plays center.

Houy and Bucar met several times in high school at Gateway and Penn-Trafford, respectively.

They got to know each other better as teammates on the North squad at the 2005 Foothills Classic.

"It's a nice feeling that players like Dave and myself are considered leaders of the team," Houy said.

"We're seen as anchors of the offensive line. It's nice to have everything clicking right now. Everyone is pretty excited. We have to focus 100 percent every day and every practice. We can't take anything for granted."

Houy said he worked a lot on his quickness in spring drills and hopes it will make him more explosive in 2008.

He continues to work out this summer in preparation for the beginning of pre-season camp on Aug. 15.

Houy is interning this summer with Management Science Associates, a data analysis company in East Liberty.

MSA sponsors a sports Web site -- www.msasportsnetwork.com -- that features local college and high school teams and athletes.

Houy said his game has improved with the help of offensive line coach Todd Young.

"Coming into college, I had a foundation of good instruction from my coaches at Gateway," Houy said.

"Coach Young has helped me mature my game even further. He worked with me on my pass blocking, focusing on balance and other techniques. He also helped me to be a smarter football player. It's not just all about brawn."

W&J has participated in 19 of the past 23 NCAA Division III playoffs and has claimed 20 of the past 24 PAC titles.

This decade, the Presidents have posted a 79-14 overall record, the fourth-best win total in Division III since 2000.