The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Zach Bartlow said his summer got "flipped upside down rather quick" when he received a surprise call from Finland asking him to play quarterback for the Turku Trojans, part of the country's Maple League.

The Vaahteraliiga (Maple League) is the highest level of American football in Finland played under the American Football Association of Finland. The winner of the Maple League is the Finnish champion. The season is played in summer, with a schedule usually from May to September, and this year's league is made up of seven teams.

"The Trojans needed a quarterback three games into their season. They had an American quarterback leave town, leaving them a bit in desperation. They gave me a call, and, long story short, I was on my way to Finland three days later. My summer of not much excitement quickly turned into a season of adventure," Bartlow said.

Bartlow said the season was more challenging than he had expected, however, as he came in mid-season to join a struggling team.

"When I joined the team, they were 0-4 and were only averaging 1.25 points per game. Since I've arrived we have done a little better, averaging almost 20 (19.4), but have only managed to win two games. We are currently at 2-9," he said.

But Bartlow may be a bit overly modest. A post on the Helsinki Roosters website about a then-upcoming Aug. 8 game between the Roosters and longtime rivals, the Trojans, states, "Trojans offense was in big trouble in the opening half of the Maple League. Since changing the quarterback to Zach Bartlow they have gotten their offense rolling much better."

The Trojans went on to win that game, which is significant considering the Roosters are the most recent country champions and are the most successful all-time Finnish team with 19 titles.

A clip of an interview with Bartlow following the winning game against the Roosters can be found at http://bit.ly/2uEg1nw.

Not only that, but Bartlow has gained league recognition as well. The American Football International website has Bartlow listed as the fifth-place passing yard leader in the league in spite of only having played five games at the time. As of the tenth game of the season, he had thrown for 868 yards.

In spite of struggles with the team on the field, Bartlow said he's had a great experience.

"Finland is a nice country with very courteous people and they have treated me great! I like all the guys from the team and have created a lot of good memories. The best thing about this whole experience is that it gives me the opportunity to travel.

Courtesy Photo

Bartlow looks determined as he prepares to pass in a June 16 game against the Tampere Saints.

"By the end of it all I will have visited five different countries, experienced so many different cultures, and learned about so much of the history here. I've enjoyed that aspect of my summer a lot. Traveling is a huge passion of mine and I want to travel any chance I get. Luckily, football gave me an opportunity to do so. It's definitely a summer I'll never forget," Bartlow said.

With only two weeks left in the season, Bartlow says he is definitely looking forward to heading home to see friends and family, which includes his parents, Coach Jeff and Lori Bartlow.

Bartlow says he plans to return to Eastern Oregon University, where he has played four years as quarterback for the Mountianeers' football team, to finish up his masters degree in business. He won't be playing Mountaineer ball this year, but will still take to the field, this time as the team's quarterback coach.