The Helsinki Roosters of the Finnish Maple League have found their new quarterback after agreeing to terms with Bryce Stancombe.
Offensive coordinator Daniel Stanzel is thrilled to have a player he can trust on and off the field:
”It is the hardest position in sports. We put a lot of work into finding the right player for the team; on and off the field. I am very excited about the signing of Bryce. It is rare to find someone with the experience he has coming straight from college. His resume speaks for itself and so does his game tape. I cannot wait to get to work with him.”
The 6’2″, 210-pound quarterback spent a rare seven seasons at the University of Indianapolis (NCAA D2) finishing his career with the Greyhounds this past fall. Over the course of his time in Indiana’s capital city, the pandemic and injuries extended Stancombe’s eligibility allowing him to be a part of the Greyhounds program for nearly double the length of most athletes. In 31 games, the college football veteran amassed 4,434 passing yards and 38 touchdowns while adding two more scores on the ground. In his final season, the Bloomington, Indiana native was named team captain, leading the Greyhounds to a 7-4 record, while throwing for 2,357 passing yards and 19 touchdowns.
Stancombe on why he chose the Roosters when looking to extend his career:
“The winning tradition that the Roosters have created is one that I want to be a part of and contribute to.”
Stancombe has big shoes to fill in Helsinki as Roosters fans say goodbye to homegrown quarterback Miro Kadmiry. The 30-year-old Kadmiry announced his retirement following the 2021 season, after leading the Roosters from under center the past three seasons. The Finnish National Team passer was the catalyst for Helsinki’s last Maple Bowl championship in 2019, throwing for 3,213 yards and 51 touchdowns on his way to an undefeated MVP season.
Head coach Juha Hakala on the tough decision of finding Kadmiry’s replacement.
“For the past three seasons, we have had the privilege to enjoy a great performance of our national quarterback Miro Kadmiry, who was very experienced quarterback and a true leader of our offense. The key elements for the next quarterback was to find a player that is experienced, can help our young local quarterbacks to grow and can also be leader for our offense in 2022.”
The Roosters aim to rebuild for the 2022 season with head coach Juha Hakala at the helm once again. Helsinki has already signed former University of Illinois (NCAA D1) defensive back Nolan Bernat and defensive end Kaleb Wezdenko (Grandview University NAIA) to bolster their defense. On offense, they’ll return receivers Micky Kyei and Arttu Pajarinen along with several other key players for what projects to be another exciting season of Maple League football in Finland.