It will be a softball version of Friday Night Lights when Solanco High School's varsity team plays the first home night game in program history.

Community Appreciation and Youth Recognition Night will be held Friday, April 11, on the lower Legion field in Memorial Park, 297 Park Ave., Quarryville. There is no admission fee. Food trucks Midileos and 22bbq will be on-site selling food.

The Golden Mules will face Cocalico. The JV game will start at 4:15 p.m. Solanco Girls Softball Association (SGSA) players will be recognized at 6:20, and the varsity game is slated to begin at 6:30.

"I'm really excited to have the community come out and make this a big event," said Mules' senior Ella Sensenig. "I think it will be fun for everybody."

Solanco's softball teams usually play their home games at the high school campus during the afternoon since there are no lights on either the varsity or JV field.

"We'd like to get the community involved," said Mules' varsity softball coach Jason McClune, who has been a part of the program for 23 years and is entering his second season as the head coach. "Jeff McCardell, our assistant coach, is putting it together. We want to showcase our program and the good things that we do here. We want to get the youth program involved so we can develop that relationship. Any time you have food and the opportunity to do all that, it's a good thing."

McCardell, a Southern End native like McClune, is trying to re-create an atmosphere he remembers from his formative years in the area. "When I was growing up, every weekend during the summer we would go to Dottie's (Snack Bar) and then go to the Legion field to watch some type of baseball or softball game," McCardell said.

Solanco softball, which has qualified for the PIAA Tournament the last two seasons and was the district runner-up last year, always enjoys support from the community, but McCardell expects this game to be special.

"We're thankful we have a good following from the community," he said. "We even had support at our away games. We feel this is going to give more people an opportunity to be there on a Friday night under the lights. It will enable our team to be seen by more people and give back to the community."

McCardell is coordinating the event with help from Quarryville Borough, the SGSA, and Solanco athletic director Anthony Hall. "The borough has been great to work with, and the SGSA is publicizing it to players and coaches," McCardell said.

He is hoping members of the community who are walking nearby will wonder what's happening and decide to stop by. "Playing under the lights is going to be cool for the girls," McCardell said. "It will be an awesome experience."

Section Two rival Elizabethtown plays some of its home games at night, and the Mules' players are looking forward to a similar atmosphere on April 11.

"At E-town, it's such an exciting thing for the parents and community to come out," said senior Sara DeFrancesco, who will play at York College next spring. "Us being able to do that, especially in my senior year, it's going to be such an amazing night."

Senior Zoey Evans said, "It's something, as a team, we're looking forward to. We want to open up our sport to the community. We really like the support, and it means a lot to us. This allows us to show our community who we are as a team."

"I think it's a great opportunity for the community to see what our team has to offer," senior Mallory Jennings said. "Since it's later at night, more people will be able to attend."

The Mules players and coaches are happy to recognize the SGSA, which is essentially the feeder program for the high school squads. "It is a great opportunity for the young ladies of the Solanco Girls Softball Association to be recognized during a high school game," said SGSA president Andrew Martin, who praised the young players' work ethic as they prepare for the season. "Although not associated with the Solanco School District, the young ladies represent Solanco as they play other school districts throughout Lancaster County. As they grow both physically and mentally, they are striving to one day be on the high school fields. They are excited about being able to interact with the older players who they look up to."

The evening will have special meaning for Andrew. His daughter Ava, a junior, is a starter for the Mules. "It is amazing to see the growth of the group of junior and seniors on the high school team," he said. "As a father and coach, we started out at the 8U level with many of these players and have watched them become excellent softball players, taking the Solanco program to levels not experienced before."