There’s a long list of great high school quarterbacks from Kalispell, and Brady McChesney has positioned himself near the top.
The Glacier senior directed the Wolfpack to their first state championship last Friday with another brilliant performance, throwing for 255 yards and four touchdowns off 19-of-34 passing.
The title victory marked the conclusion of McChesney’s rise from an unassuming first-year starter a year ago to one of the best quarterbacks in Montana history.
McChesney, listed at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, completed 63 percent of his passes this season and tallied 2,821 yards, 39 touchdowns and only five interceptions.
In the last two seasons, he has compiled 6,527 yards and 80 touchdowns. Add another two TDs that he threw as a backup in 2012, and McChesney’s career total is one of the best in state history, if not the best.
According to the Montana High School Association record books, Dallas Cook of Butte holds the all-time career record for TD passes with 76. However, the MHSA records are missing several standout players from over the years, most notably Brock Osweiler, another all-time great from Kalispell. The former Flathead Brave QB and current Denver Bronco passed for 80 TDs during his standout career from 2005-08.
Whether or not McChesney holds the all-time mark, he still deserves mention as one of the best prep passers.
“Brady McChesney is one of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever coached,” said Glacier head coach Grady Bennett, himself a former great quarterback for the Braves and later at the University of Montana. “I coached Brock Osweiler for a couple years. Mike Reilly is playing in the CFL. I’ve coached great quarterbacks in my time. Brady McChesney is right up there in the top three, at least. He is phenomenal.”
