Like many Texans, the Hayes family took a trip to Arlington in December 2013 — to AT&T Stadium, to be specific.

For Nathan Hayes and his oldest son Tristen, it was a work trip — Nathan serving as the head coach of the Crowell Wildcats, while Tristen was a freshman on the team. Fueled by an MVP performance from Mitchell Parsley, the Wildcats brought home the first state championship in program history, knocking off May, 78-52, for the Six-Man Division I title.

But there were plenty more Hayeses on the sideline that afternoon.

“He had long blond hair, and from the minute he was on the field, he always had a football in his hand,” Nathan said of his youngest son, Keegan. “Every game, he was out there being a football manager, throwing the ball around. I used to tell people, ‘He’s gonna be good.’”

The Arlington trip was memorable for the five-year-old, as well.

“I just remember how cool the atmosphere was being at Cowboys Stadium with my family and watching them,” Keegan recalled. “I wanted to be like them and grow up and have a chance to win a title just like they did.”

A lot’s changed in the 13 years since that trip to Arlington. Mitchell Parsley was Crowell’s head coach before taking a job as an assistant at Nazareth. Nathan Hayes won back-to-back state titles twice — in 2013 and 2014 with Crowell, then again in 2022 and 2023 with Benjamin — before taking the head basketball coaching job at Gordon in May.

Keegan doesn’t have that long blond hair anymore. But he’s established himself as perhaps six-man football’s best player entering 2026.

Hayes first burst on the statewide scene as a freshman in 2023, when he earned Defensive MVP honors in Benjamin’s state championship win over Oglesby. Since then, he’s had to take on a bigger, more prominent role — something that hasn’t come naturally.

“Over the last two years, I’ve had to become the guy, getting the ball more and making plays for the team,” Keegan said. “I’ve had to become more of a leader, and it’s been hard, but it’s been good for me.”

That increased spotlight paid off, as Benjamin charged into the regional final before falling to eventual state champion Jayton. Hayes earned first-team all-state spreadback honors.

For Nathan, who coached all four of his sons, it’s impossible to compare their styles and abilities. But he’s quick to recognize that his youngest is something special.

“He’s probably got the most natural athletic ability of all my kids,” Nathan said. “Everything he does is just so fluid — the decision-making, the movement, all of it. It comes natural to him.”

For his part, Keegan is modest about his place in the family pecking order, even admitting that Tristan was probably the best player in the bunch.

“My brothers were all very good and very athletic,” Keegan said. “I think I just tried to take the best parts of all of them and bring it together into one.”

As for Nathan, who will serve as an assistant under Mike Reed at three-time defending champion Gordon, he’s grown as well, and he’s embracing the opportunity to coach one of his boys one last time.

“I was so hard on Tristan,” Nathan said. “There were conversations on the sideline that should never be discussed in public. But as I’ve gotten older, I don’t bring football home with me anymore. When football’s over, we’re positive at the house.”

The youngest Hayes has noticed that, too.

“He’s let up a little bit. He’s still not nice, I’ll tell you that,” Keegan said with a chuckle, “but I love him coaching me, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”