It was a night to celebrate family and basketball, two things the Baileys hold most dear.

Solanco senior Noah Bailey scored the 1,000th point of his high school career during a home game against Warwick Jan. 17.

Noah became the eighth Mules' boys' basketball player to accomplish the feat, joining Dylan Hastings, Zac Bauermaster, Chad Shirk, Johnny Miller, Mark Tacelosky, Todd Wenger, and Fred Wert in that exclusive club.

"You can't imagine a feeling like that. It's surreal," Noah said. "I remember being a kid and seeing Dylan Hastings score his 1,000th point. I couldn't ask for a better opportunity. I couldn't thank my family more for everything they've done for me. I'm thankful for my coaches and teammates. Just a surreal moment."

Noah reached the milestone by hitting three free throws with 4:37 left in the second quarter. It was fitting the first person to congratulate him was his brother Daniel, a Solanco teammate.

"It was awesome," Daniel said. "I've played with him my whole life. It's cool to see him achieve something special like that."

Noah added, "It was special because me and him were always going at it in the backyard. I can't let him be better than me, so he has always pushed me to be better."

He said it was a relief to reach the mark after being limited to 8 points and suffering a hard fall the game before. "It was hard," said Noah. "You have to go through the whole day getting pressure from your friends. Finally, you just have to get through it." He finished the game against Warwick with 14 points.

Noah plans to play basketball in college and is mulling offers from Juniata College, King's College, and Lancaster Bible College.

"It's a very, very proud moment," Solanco coach Anthony Hall said. "I'm extremely proud of him for trying to put this program on his back for four years. That's just the type of kid he is. He's one of the hardest-working kids in the entire program no matter what you ask him to do, on the floor, in the classroom, or in the community. Whoever he decides to go with next year (for college) is going to get a fantastic kid. I'm just super proud of him."

Basketball is something of a birthright for the Baileys. Noah's father, Scott, was the starting center on Solanco's "Dream Team," which won the 1994 section title and league championship, the only league title in program history.

That season, the Mules' backcourt featured Johnny Miller, who went on to play at Clemson and Temple, and Sarunas Jasikevicius, who played in the NBA for Indiana and Golden State and excelled in Europe.

"My game was physical" said Scott, who averaged 6 points per game. "My job was rebounding and did a lot of setting screens. I played a physical game. I was the guy who set screens to get guys like Johnny open. That was our game. I enjoyed doing that."

Scott keeps in touch with Miller and teammates Shema Dickinson and Greg Schaub. Scott and Miller exchanged texts last year after Miller's son, Brelon, hit the 1,000-point mark at Columbia.

"I'm going to text Johnny tonight and tell him, 'There's a Bailey joining your son and you,'" Scott said after Noah reached the milestone.

Noah and Daniel are two of six Bailey siblings born to Scott and his wife, Lori. Lori was an all-league softball player at Solanco and helped her team to a section title in 1994.

The eldest daughters, Ella and Meg, played basketball, of course. Then it was Noah's turn. "I got thrown right into playing basketball," he said. "I heard all the stories about my dad's high school team with Johnny Miller. I learned at an early age, and my dad taught me everything I know."

While Noah and Daniel are starters on the varsity team, the two youngest boys, Josh and Isaiah, are members of the Mules' junior high squad. Ella was the only sibling unable to attend the milestone game. "It means everything," Bailey said. "It makes me emotional they were all here to support me. All the work I put in, I feel like I made them proud. I can really cherish this moment."

Their parents and grandparents attend every game. "That kind of support helps someone stay consistent with their goals, and to achieve a goal like this is unbelievable," Noah said.

Making the night even more memorable, Solanco Youth Basketball teams were recognized at halftime of the varsity game. Scott Bailey was a longtime president of the organization and coached each of his children at some point.

"It was great. It was really special," said Scott. "Not only that, with all the family and friends here, but to have it happen on youth recognition night was special because of all I've been able to be do with the youth program. It came full circle for me. It was definitely a proud moment. It's great when the gym is full. That was really cool. It could not have happened any better."