CINCINNATI — A top-ranked team is trying to bring home another state championship on Friday, but this time, they’re doing it with the help of an NFL pro.

What You Need To Know

  • The Archbishop Moeller High School football team is trying for their 10th state title, but this time the team is under the direction of a new athletic director with a long NFL history

  • Jonathan Hayes is a former NFL player who played for the Chiefs, in the Super Bowl for Steelers and later coached with the Bengals and XFL teams. He's now the athletic director at Moeller High SChool

  • Hayes said his football experience gives him the upper hand trying to coordinate high stakes games like the finals

In the last few practices before the Division I state championship game, Archbishop Moeller High School head coach Bert Bathiany is careful not to reveal any special plays, but there is someone behind the scenes who came here to help from the NFL.

“It's been great because I can bounce a lot of ideas off of him," said Bathiany. “He's been awesome because he has so much football knowledge. He still let's me be the football coach, and I had the honor to coach one of his sons," he said.

Jonathan Hayes is a former NFL player who played for the Chiefs, in the Super Bowl for Steelers and later coached with the Bengals and XFL teams. He's now the athletic director at Moeller.

“It gave me a different perspective on how to run sports, how to be a part of sports," said Hayes.

Hayes has been running Moeller sports since January. He said coming from the pros to high school sports gave him an upper hand trying to coordinate high-stakes games like the finals. 

“We're like a traveling circus; we're constantly moving big groups of people from place to place for football. So for us to be historic, so historically good, especially in our field sport, especially football, it's kind of remarkable... but our kids don't flinch because they're used to it," said Hayes. 

He said that’s part of what brought him to high school sports because of the kids. His three sons have gone to Moeller and one is still on the team getting ready for the championship game with lessons from a pro. 

“You go out there, be about each other, not about self — put team first. Allow yourself to truly be brothers, you know, they talk about the brotherhood here more and it's important," said Hayes. 

Those lessons are what Bathiany said he’ll be taking with him as they go for the state title. 

"I mean, all those life lessons that you learn on the hardwood floor, on the field and in the wrestling room and the weight room, that all adds to it so in everyone's thrown in the right direction, 100%, that helps everything be successful," said Bathiany. 

Moeller will be gunning for their 10th state title when they play Olentangy Liberty Friday night in Canton.