Strike up the band: Basketball star Khamille Jackson tries something new to lead Marian Catholic. ‘I’m in color guard.’

Khamille Jackson is a no-doubt-about-it senior leader for Marian Catholic.

She’s a 6-foot-1 dominator underneath. She’s a team captain who isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

And for a once-shy kid, things took a dramatic turn in the fall.

“I’m in color guard,” Jackson said. “Band is really about student leadership. As a senior, you are kind of forced to speak up. They expect us to take on a group of younger kids who are also in guard.

“We show them how to do stuff and be a good example. Being in that before basketball really helped me to talk more and become more of a leader.”

Jackson was the chairman of the boards Wednesday night at forward for the Spartans in a 50-29 East Suburban Catholic Conference victory over Marist.

Madison Davis poured in 29 points for Marian Catholic (16-3, 1-1). LaParis Poe added nine points and Jackson contributed nine rebounds.

Elise Ward had 14 points for Marist (10-12, 0-3). Nora Brusek added eight rebounds, while Mary Kate Porter picked up four points and seven rebounds.

While Davis simply lit up the gym with her scoring, Jackson was a key contributor in an 11-0 run the Spartans used at the end of the third quarter.

During one sequence, she had two consecutive power rebounds and also made a nice pass from the outside to teammate Gracie Jensen on the run for a layup.

Aside from dominating inside, Jackson spends quality time at or near the top of the key.

Marian Catholic coach Dan Murray doesn’t waste any talent.

“She’s the anchor of our defense, but she’s actually a pretty good passer,” Murray said of Jackson. “On a lot of our back-cut stuff, she does a really nice job.

“Personality-wise, she’s quiet, the most polite kid you’ll ever meet. But as much as I’m amazed, she’s become the vocal leader of the team. When she speaks, everybody listens because they respect her work ethic and everything she does. She’s been doing a fantastic job for us.”

Contributing inside or outside, it’s all the same these days for Jackson.

“I’m more comfortable in the paint, but I’ve gotten better being out there at the top than I have in the past,” Jackson said. “It gives me a chance to see people down there focusing on other players and I can kind of weave my way in.”

Teammates are noticing.

“Oh yeah, at the top of the key, her footwork is great,” Davis said. “She has a nice touch. Even in our Butler game last week, it was her at the top of the key and back cuts. The connection we have is looking good.

“Khamille brings so much to our team. She brings energy in the locker room, and on the court, she’s a force. The biggest thing is when someone else is down, she’s always picking them up. She influences the team in a good way.”

Jackson has been starting since halfway through her junior season.

“I remember it being a big shock when coach told me one day, ‘Yeah, we’re changing the starters — Khamille, you’re starting,’” Jackson said. “I was real surprised. I hadn’t realized I had grown that much.

“It all kind of snuck up on me. Now, I just look forward to keep getting better.”

Foul trouble made it a tough night on the Marist side for Ward.

But the game was stopped to acknowledge Ward’s big moment in the fourth quarter when she scored a basket for the 1,000th point of her career.

“When I came to Marist, scoring 1,000 points wasn’t even a thought in my mind,” Ward said. “Talking with coach (Mary Pat) Connolly when she was around, she would say how not many people have done it at Marist.

“It sounded really cool, really exciting. So I’m definitely proud.”