It just goes with the territory for 21st Century’s Jacolby Donaldson.
The 6-foot-1 junior guard is already in his second season as a captain for the Cougars.
“I’ve been keeping the energy up, talking on defense,” Donaldson said. “Being a team captain, I’ve been keeping my team under control. Don’t let anything interfere in their head.
“Just help your teammates get better, help them develop, help myself get better.”
Donaldson has 21st Century (20-6) laser-focused in pursuit of a state championship. The Cougars, who will play Wapahani (26-1) in the semifinals of the Class 2A Michigan City Semistate on Saturday, have won three regional titles in the past four seasons — and five overall — but they’ve yet to emerge with a semistate title.
Donaldson, who averages 9.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals, is trying to help the Cougars break through.
“He’s a great kid,” 21st Century coach James Scott said. “He’s a super, super, super kid. … He’s the leader on the floor. He’s our point guard. So he does a lot to get my team into our offensive sets. He plays defense well. He’s just a really good point guard to have on a team like this that’s full of so much talent.”
That wealth of talent includes senior forward Lemetrius Williams and junior guard Terrence Hayes Jr., who also are captains for the Cougars.
“I’m trying to make him into the best point guard he can be,” Williams said of Donaldson. “I’m trying to do that for him. He’s been developing into a good point guard for me, and I really like what he’s doing.”
Hayes’ face lit up when he was asked about Donaldson.
“Great kid, great teammate, great leader, humble,” Hayes said. “Just a very, very humble kid. He doesn’t do anything out of his place. He knows what he needs to do to get us a win.”
The Cougars’ season-ending loss in 2024 has served as motivation for Donaldson, who averaged 8.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.4 steals as a sophomore. An upset against North Judson interrupted their string of regional titles.
Since that game, Donaldson has worked on his skills and increased his activity in the weight room to gain 10 pounds.
“Last year, I was committed,” he said. “After that loss, I was really committed to winning state. I want to bring that first state championship to 21st Century.
“We had to step it up. Last year, after we lost, we just had to pick it up.”
Wapahani, which has won three straight regional titles, defeated North Judson in a semistate semifinal last year on its way to the state championship game, where it lost to Brownstown Central.
“We’re looking past nobody,” Scott said. “We’re going to go out there and play our game, and hopefully we’re good enough to take it all the way to the state championship. Hopefully, we can end this season with a state championship.
“Our motto is ‘Unfinished business.’ We felt like we left it on the table last year. So our theme is ‘Unfinished business.’ We have to take care of our business this year and win the state championship. We’re playing our best basketball at the right time. The guys are locked in. They’re focused on one task at a time. But that’s our goal, our ultimate goal.”
Donaldson likes the way the Cougars have been handling their business.
“We’ve been having team meetings about our energy, practices, games, our effort,” he said. “We’ve been working hard and bringing it on the court. We have to have fun and bring energy.”
