After losing just two regular season games in the past three seasons Lebanon endured four losses in their first five games this year. Senior running back and linebacker Jax Glendenning has been a starter all four years and says nobody on this team has lost faith in the Yellowjacket way. “I haven’t seen any of that,” said Jax. “Anyone being like that would be asked to leave the team. So everyone that is here right now at this practice is a warrior.”
Head coach Will Christian says they’re simply following the lead of Lebanon’s new all-time leading rusher.
“I’ve kind of coined the term with him, ‘War Daddy,'” said Christian. “I mean, that’s what he is. He’s one of our team captains and leaders. He understands what’s going to be necessary for us to battle through it.”
The reigning Ozark Conference Offensive Player of the Year and third-team all-state rusher was also second-team all-conference as a linebacker last year. He’s been on the field nearly every play despite receiving weekly treatments for a nagging hamstring injury all season.
“The hamstring thing was a bit of a setback,” said Christian. “And he rehabbed and then played that game and rushed for 315 [yards]. No big deal.”
“In years prior I think I went six games without having a full game in me,” said Jax. “I would be taken out at halftime because of how we were beating everybody. Nowadays, I’ve been playing entire games. So I’ve played more this year than I’ve had almost every other year.”
And with the increased competition the Harding University football commit has as simple message for his teammates: They can still accomplish more than they ever have come playoff time.
“We all have to realize as a community that this is helping us get better,” said Jax. “I’m excited for when we get to that point. It’s going to be hard for anyone to stop us when we get there.”
And how could you doubt him when it’s been so hard for anyone to stop him his entire high school career.
