Ricky Houser admittedly has always taken the advice of his parents, Donna and Rich, in life and in the sports world as well.

As a result, Houser has developed into a soft-spoken young man who seemingly can handle many situations on and off the field. Part of those steps was shaped when he anxiously awaited and watched along the stands of Alumni Field to someday have his chance on the field.

"They always think I should do as much as I can and they have been very supportive of me in athletics," noted Houser. "They want me to do the best that I possibly can and play all of the sports that I can play.

"It has helped me became a better player in all three of them. Being on the football field has always been a dream."

Houser has certainly taken the cue from his parents as he has excelled in football, basketball, and track for the Roughies. Recently, he hasn't disappointed anyone on the football field.

Through his first four games, the senior is the Roughies' second leading receiver with 15 catches for 326 yards with three touchdowns. He and team leading receiver Jake Kober (22 catches, 457 yards, six touchdowns) have formed one of the more formidable tandems in the Lehigh Valley.

"Ricky (Houser) does a lot of good things out there for us," said head coach Phil Dorn. "He has the ability to make a catch at any point on the field and is a solid possession receiver. He and Jake (Kober) are one of the best combinations in the league.

"We're fortunate to have receivers and hard workers like the two of them. Ricky is a great kid who gets done whatever job he has and a quiet leader."

Houser can easily return the favor as he believes his team has plenty of football left to play. He hasn't noticed much difference from the offense from former head coach Tom Falzone to his current head coach.

"We have the potential to get better," he said. "When things have gone wrong, we have the tendency to hang our heads. But we got a big win and we want to move forward.

"I haven't noticed too many changes aside from some shifts on offense. We have coaches here now who also care. It is up to us to go out and get the job done. We can't get down on ourselves and we have to realize that we won the district title last year.

"We want to get back to the playoffs."

Football has been a mainstay for Houser since he was five or six years old. He remembers watching the varsity play in his younger days and envisioned himself making some of the game's big plays.

Along with maintaining his presence in basketball, Houser also has been an overnight sensation in track as he had a mercuric rise as one of the area's standouts in the triple jump and also made key contributions in long jump and 4 X 100 relay since he joined the program two years ago.

It is all part of a big picture in which Houser will make a humble exit. He plans to pursue a degree in either criminal justice, sports medicine, or sports training and would like to continue playing football somewhere next fall.

"It just feels great finally being here and making some big plays," stated Houser. "I knew I would at this point and now I want to take advantage of it. I have enjoyed every moment I have had in high school.

"I just want to be able to finish as best as I can and move on."