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Dexter defender ready to lift Central Methodist FB to success
Success on the football field begets interest from others, be they fans, media, and also college football programs. Dexter High School is learning that after completing one of the most successful seasons in Bearcat history, as Central Methodist University recently pursued, and received a commitment from, Dexter senior defensive lineman Ethan Glaus.
“Their football program and their campus have so much history,” Glaus said of the Eagles and the campus in Fayette. “It is one of the oldest colleges in Missouri (and) it is so beautiful.”
Glaus played along both offensive and defensive lines with the Bearcats during his high school career, but this past fall, he primarily worked on the defensive side of the ball. He was a First Team All-SEMO Conference Central Division selection.
“His size,” third-year Bearcat coach Chad Jamerson said of what would pique Central Methodist’s interest in the 290-pound athlete. “When you see him and how big of a young man that he is.”
Jamerson oversees the Bearcat strength and conditioning program for all of Dexter athletes and he feels that this could be just the beginning of Glaus’ physical development.
“A college coach will look at him and know that they can probably put a little bit more muscle on him,” Jamerson said, “and add a little bit more mass.”
Glaus said that improving his athleticism is a focus for him over the next seven months before he reports to training camp in August.
“Playing (on the defensive line) involves a lot more explosiveness,” Glaus said. “You have to come off the ball hard, but you also have to be able to stop.
“It involves a lot of quick twitch muscles.”
Glaus was at the front of a record-setting defense this past fall.
Dexter won its first 11 games and advanced to the MSHSAA Class 3 State Quarterfinals, and its performance on the defensive side of the ball was critical to that success.
The Bearcat starting defense didn’t allow a touchdown until Week Five in a win over state-ranked Southern Boone, and entering its final game had allowed less than nine points per game on average by its opponents.
“Ethan has a knack for bending down the line and finding the ball carrier,” Jamerson said. “He’s got some natural instincts at that defensive line position.”
The Eagles, which compete at the NAIA level, have struggled over the past two seasons but improved defensively from Eagle Coach Dave Brown’s first season (2023) to this past fall.
“I narrowed it down to three schools,” Glaus said. “But I liked Coach brown the best.”
Glaus envisions majoring in business and his “dream” is to operate a marina on a lake in Arkansas.
“Ethan was always a kid who worked hard whether it was in the weight room or on the practice field,” Jamerson said. “He always had a good attitude and tried his best to be a good teammate.”