The saying “like father, like son” is appropriate when referring to Chris and Ben Jacob of Wilton.

Ben Jacob recently scored his 1,000th career point for the Wilton-Lyndeborough boys’ basketball team. However, he is not the only Jacob with this laurel, as father Chris scored more than 1,000 points during his own years at WLC. 

“At the end of my junior year, I realized that reaching the 1,000-point bar was possible. Maybe probable,” said the younger Jacob.

Three-pointers have become common in basketball, but they’re not how Jacob got to the milestone.

“I’ve scored mostly from inside the paint on layups, post moves and drives to the basket,” said Jacob, who plays center.

He began playing ball in elementary school for WJAA – the Wilton Junior Athletic Association – and has been a forward and a guard.

At 6 feet, 5 inches tall, center seems to have worked for him.

The last WLC player to reach 1,000 points was Jack Schwab five years ago, and he finished with 1,241 points before graduating. Chris Jacob, Class of 1993, scored 1,034 points in his time on the hardwood, and was only the seventh Warrior to hit that mark. Ben cited his father as the biggest influence on his playing style and work ethic. He has especially needed the latter this year.

“I’ve been double teamed most of the season,” said Ben, adding that coach Cam Taber and his teammates have been very supportive in helping him reach that bar. 

Ben reached 1,000 points against Nute High School. Chris put some icing on the cake in the same game he notched his 1,000th point. 

“I also hit a three at the buzzer the same night to knock Hollis-Brookline out of playoff contention. It was a good night,” said Chris. 

The older Jacob noted a challenge for WLC in terms of competition in his day.

“At the time, we played teams in close proximity, out of our division, due to budget constraints. Rather than traveling up north to play within our division, we played larger schools in the area,” he said.

He also pointed out a difference between his and his son’s play.

“I was a small forward in high school, where most of my points were scored by slashing to the hoop or from the 3-point line. Ben is a prototypical post player/slasher who scores most of his points underneath with post moves and off of offensive rebounds,” he said. 

“With the emphasis on the 3-pointer today, it appears that more players are achieving the milestone more often,” he added, but as noted, that’s not how his son got there. 

Ben has no current plans to play ball at the college level.

“But I’ll be playing in local summer leagues,” he said. 

The older Jacob said  he hopes future students will have the opportunities of extracurriculars and enrichments that Ben has enjoyed. 

“Previous generations were afforded these opportunities, and I feel we should work towards a solution to continue providing these experiences for future students,” said Jacob.