If you talk to a Middletown Middie football player during the week, you're talking to any other high schooler. They laugh, rib and the like.
Take that same player after a pregame speech from Middletown's first-year head coach Kali Jones and you would see someone else entirely.
"It's crazy to see the effect he has on these kids," said Jameel Benson, a videographer who's been working with Jones for years. "When he gives that speech, they're different people. All that matters is going out there and destroying everything."
Jones coached at Withrow for the last five years, leading the Tigers to their first-ever regional final in 2023.
According to Middletown Athletic Director J.D. Foust, one of the main reasons the school hired Jones in the offseason is his commitment to his kids and his program. Foust said those characteristics will help the football program reach its main goals of returning to relevance on the field and keeping talented Middletown athletes from defecting to area private schools.
The Middies have a long and successful football history, with a list of alums that includes Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter and former Pro Bowl Safety Todd Bell, but the team hasn't won a Greater Miami Conference championship since 2010. Middletown finished 3-8 in 2023.
For Middletown to reach the next level, the Middies could benefit from Jones's tendency to develop the whole player, not just his football skills.
Jones has a foundation called Friends of the Program, where people can donate to help feed the Middletown players and send less privileged players to camps to gain exposure in recruiting.
On his own time, Jones chaperones the players as he takes them to camps in places like Georgia and Alabama. For some players, football can be a catalyst for an education, and Foust said Jones's willingness to surpass reasonable expectations in that way in an attempt to uplift young people goes a long way in the Middletown community.
Jones is a former Marine, and discipline is important to him. According to Benson, if his starting running back or star quarterback is acting up in class, he's going to sit. Up and down the roster, everyone is treated the same.
Foust said Jones was the perfect hire because his coaching philosophy matches the culture Middletown is trying to create. Accountability matters, because even more than great football players, they're trying to mold class acts, leaders and contributors on and off the field.
In the Middies' first game of the year last week, they earned a 28-18 victory over Troy, which made the Region 8 semifinals last season. Second-year starting quarterback Jeremiah Landers completed 60% of his passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns last week, and running backs Kasaun Graham and Demetrian James combined for 146 rushing yards on just 18 carries.
On Friday, the team beat Oak Hills 34-14 to move to 2-0.
What's more, the Middies have benefitted from the addition of two Bishop Fenwick transfers with Power Four offers, receiver Jordan Vann and running back/linebacker Derrick Singletary.
The Middies are currently tied for first in the Greater Miami Conference with Lakota West, a team they will face Sept. 20, after traveling to Colerain next week and hosting Sycamore the week after.