Brady Gast's passion for football goes way back.
"I got into football when I was really little," recalled the Alexandria High senior quarterback. "There are pictures of me as a baby with a football helmet on throwing a football."
With the help of his dad, Alexandria head coach Pete Gast, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound standout has had plenty of time to fine tune his craft.
"I remember some years ago my wife (Kelly) and I were taking Brady and (older sister) Allie to a Purdue-Iowa football game," recalled Pete Gast. "Brady was 5 or 6 years old and it was 90 minutes before kickoff. We had parked several blocks away from Ross-Ade Stadium and Brady was crying and mad that he was going to miss the National Anthem if we didn't hurry up. I think at that moment, my wife and I knew that Brady loved everything about football."
All of the extra-help and diligent hard work has paid off as Brady recently surpassed the 5,000-yard mark in passing for his career in the Tigers' 47-0 blanking of Wes-Del on August 22.
Although he played a huge role in his son's development, Pete Gast can't take all the credit for his good fortune.
"Growing up, there was a quarterback named (2015 Alexandria graduate) Blaize Kelly who I really admired," recalled Brady Gast, who is 373-of-563 for 5,052 yards with 58 touchdowns for his career. "He was really fun to watch and made me want to be a quarterback."
Having had the chance to lead the offense since his freshman campaign, Brady has seen both his numbers and confidence rapidly increase.
After combining for more than 2,400 yards and 23 touchdowns through the air over his first two campaigns, he came into his own last fall by completing 158-of-245 for 2,296 yards with 30 touchdowns and running 47 times for 306 yards with four scores.
"I feel like my knowledge of the game is really good," explained Brady Gast, who was 13-of-15 for 307 yards with five touchdowns in the season opener against Wes-Del. "My arm strength and accuracy are also really good as well."
Getting the opportunity to hang out and work with his off-spring is something the 17th-year Tigers' boss has really cherished.
"We are pretty laid back, I think," explained Pete Gast. "I know he's ready to play, so I just let him be. I'd say more I am more quiet than talkative with him because I coach the line and am very involved with the defense. There's not a lot of opportunities for us to talk during the game. When he makes a big play, though, I do try to find him and congratulate him, as I would any player."
Brady has plenty of fond memories to look back on as well.
"I think it has been really fun getting to do this together," said Brady Gast. "We are both talkative and loud, but I feel like I'm quieter than him. When I talk, I try to get people fired up for the game.
"My favorite memory so far is making a comeback and beating Oak Hill (22-21 win in overtime) last year, but I am hoping there will be something bigger this year."
With that being said, there are some areas he believes he needs to improve on over the course of this season.
"I have to have less interceptions and do a better job of taking care of the ball when under pressure," said Brady Gast, who had 12 interceptions in 2024 and 21 picks overall. "I feel like I am already better at these things this year. I also need to be better at staying cool and being supportive when things don't go our way. The guys on our team will act the way I act."
No matter what happens on the field, Coach Gast believes he is already a big winner.
"God has certainly blessed my wife and I with two great kids, " explained Pete Gast. "I'm having a blast now and I know that a big part of me will miss coaching Brady when the season is over. I'm also very close with the other senior players. I've worked with them for 10-plus years now, so I am blessed to be able to coach them as well."
Outside of the gridiron, Brady also participates on the basketball and baseball teams and enjoys playing golf as well as spending time with his family and friends.
"I just want to cherish the moment right now with my teammates because it is going by so fast," explained Brady Gast, who currently has a 3.49 grade-point average and plans to major in exercise science in college. "When my playing days are done, I want to be a physical therapist, get married, and start a family."
Uncertain where he will wind up after graduation, he is right now focused on getting his troops prepared for a trip to Bud Wright Stadium to take on Sheridan (1-0) on August 29.
