Octorara Area High School senior Daniel Solomon loves the Friday night lights in the stadium and the roar of the crowd as he runs onto the football field with his teammates.

And that's despite the fact that the son of Paul and Sharon Solomon has three sisters, Stephanie, 23; Rachel, 20; and Emily, 12.

"I've been surrounded by girls my whole life," the 18-year-old said. "But at least I got to play sports with my dad."

Solomon, who has lived his entire life in the same house in Atglen, said his dad taught him to play ball when he was so young, he can't remember not playing.

He's been captain of the Octorara baseball team since his sophomore year and the football team since his junior year.

This year he was voted most valuable player and best quarterback on the football team. As a sophomore, he was MVP on the baseball team, for which he pitches and plays outfield.

"I love competition," he said. "That's why I do sports, all sports."

And he really wants to play a college sport.

"I want to try to walk on. I'm not a recruited athlete."

He's been accepted at Princeton University, with a scholarship.

"My mom yelled and jumped up and down when she heard."

He's waiting to hear from the University of Virginia, Harvard, Cornell, Penn and Duke.

"Where I can play football or baseball will help me decide," he said. "I have a better chance to play college football."

The teen's career path is still up in the air.

"I'm considering business or engineering," he said.

Solomon, with a 4.91 cumulative grade-point average, ranks first in his class of about 220 students.

The Lenfest Foundation has awarded him a $12,000 Lenfest Scholarship, for students in rural high schools.

He is a member of the National Honor Society and has been on the distinguished honor roll throughout high school.

He's also been class president throughout high school. As a member of Octorara Heroes, he talks to elementary school students about being drug- and alcohol-free.

In summers, Solomon volunteers as a coach for the Octorara flag football and baseball camps and works for his father, who owns and operates Octorara Landscape and Turf.

This past summer, he went on a youth mission trip to the Dominican Republic with Calvary Monument Bible Church, Paradise, where he is an assistant Sunday school teacher.

"It was awesome," he said of the trip. "We went to local orphanages, played with kids, shared the gospel with kids, painted a church and delivered food to local villages because they were impoverished."

Sports, school and church leave Solomon with little free time.

"What keeps me going is living for Jesus Christ," he said. "I'm thankful he's given me so many talents and abilities."