Signing Day: Two Scouts Make College Decisions
All-Conference defensive end Finn Goodman and offensive lineman Alex Terlap will continue their football careers at the next level
(Andy, Finn and Rebecca Goodman)
Soon after becoming a Lake Forest Scout, Finn Goodman set a goal to play football in college.
A defensive end, by his senior season of 2024, Goodman had turned himself into a legitimate college prospect. An all-conference performer with a high motor coming off the edge, fans will most remember his game-changing sack of Libertyville all-state quarterback Quinn Schambow in the wild Week 8 matchup, won by the Scouts 42-35.
When Lake Forest walked off the field for the final time after a playoff loss in mid-November, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Goodman knew he had more football left.
“I always dreamed of playing at a bigger level,” he said.
Earlier this month, Goodman realized his dream.
Beginning this fall, the North Suburban Conference sack leader will play college football at the University of Dayton.
Dayton is a Football Championship Subdivision program (1-AA) and plays in the Pioneer League. Since entering the league in 2008, the Flyers have posted winning records in 14 seasons.
Goodman said the Flyers liked his long body type and plans to have him be an edge rusher.
“They run a 4-3 (scheme),” he said, who finished 2024 with 10.5 sacks. “I’ll be one of those wide guys when they go five (man front), be that edge threat.”
Although Goodman started his college recruitment efforts as an underclassman, the Dayton offer came late in the process.
When Goodman walked off Varsity Field for the final time after the quarterfinal loss to Geneva, he had interest from a few schools, even a few offers. A productive 2024 spring camp season and outstanding senior year raised his profile. But there was more work to be done on the recruiting trail.
During the December contact window, Dayton coaches popped into town to visit. They invited Goodman to visit the campus after the first of the new year.
“They wanted to recruit him,” Coach Spagnoli said. “They wanted to get him on campus when the time came.”
Goodman admits that before December, he didn’t know much about the Flyers. Between the initial contact and his January visit, he spent time researching the program and coaching staff.
“They liked what they saw on film and I had multiple calls with (offensive coordinator) Coach (Greg) Whalen,” Goodman said. “That relationship grew over (Christmas) break.”
On January 24th, Goodman, accompanied by his father, Andy, set foot on the Dayton campus for the first time.
For 10 hours, Goodman toured the campus, seeing the athletic complex and meeting with academic advisors (Goodman holds a 5.0 GPA and plans to major in business). He went to a Flyers basketball game that night with his future teammates. A 30-minute film session with his position coach was a highlight.
“I love the film part,” Goodman said. “He talked about where he sees me on the edge, using a two-and three-point stance. I can move so they said they may use me in coverage packages as a dual threat.”
Another highlight from the day: the photo shoot.
“I was in uniform and took some (photos) with my dad. That was cool for him to see,” Goodman said.
In a private suite during the basketball game, Goodman got an audience with Flyers head coach Trevor Andrews. They talked more football but also about the financial aid package the school could provide.
When Goodman left the next day, he felt comfortable about becoming a Dayton Flyer.
“It’s a really nice campus. Dayton has the feel of a college town. It’s not in the middle of a big city,” Goodman said. “The (players) are really supportive and great guys. It was growing on me.”
That Monday (Jan. 27), an offer came over via text. By the next day, Goodman had said yes. He waited until Feb. 1 to announce his commitment publicly.
Spagnoli said once Goodman got to see the campus and meet Flyers coaches and players in person, it became clear the marriage would be a good fit.
“It came together when he had the opportunity to visit,” Spagnol said. “That’s the goal for every kid where regardless of how football works out, to stay in a place where he wants to be.”
From the time Alex Terlap first visited Loras College, the school’s Dubuque, Iowa home was destined to be the next stop on his football journey.
It just so happens Terlap, an offensive lineman for the Scouts in 2023 and 2024, has an older brother, Max, who plays defensive line for the Loras Duhawks.
“I’d go back to see Max,” Terlap said. “Ever since my freshman year, I’ve loved playing football and I was looking for a place to play (in college).”
After a successful junior season of 2023 that saw Terlap start at guard, he took some college visits the next spring. One of those trips was to Dubuque in May of 2024 when Terlap participated in the school’s Junior Days camp. A photo with Max, a three-year starter for the Scouts from 2019-21, encapsulated the day.
It was only a matter of time before Loras offered the younger Terlap.
The Duhawks did just that a little over a month later, in June. With a college offer in hand, Alex Terlap had his senior season to play. There was plenty of time to work out the details with Loras.
Terlap started the first six games of the 2024 season. He and the Scouts were off to a great start, with a 4-1 record heading into the October Stevenson game. Against the Patriots, Terlap left the game with an injury. He missed the remainder of the season.
A wrestler in the winter, Terlap was finally cleared for competition after Christmas.
“I hadn’t wrestled in almost a year but I was ready to get back in the room,” Terlap said, who completed his 2024-25 wrestling season with a 4th place finish at the Class 2A Regionals in the 175-pound weight class.
Despite missing the last half of his senior season, he never lost his love for football.
On January 24th, he made it official with Loras, announcing he’d be playing for the Duhawks beginning in 2025.
A flurry of congratulatory text messages went out among Alex, Max, and parents Jake and Shannon. Max replied he already knew.
“He had the inside scoop,” Alex said.
The brothers will be together this fall as Max returns to Loras for his senior season.
“He’ll be there and can take me places, go fishing and show me around,” Alex said.
Said Spagnoli: “It’s a situation that’s unique, being able to play with his older brother. He loves the school and the environment, and they feel good about it.”
The Scouts typically hold a signing ceremony at West Campus for departing seniors who have signed with schools. There are a handful of other players — offensive lineman Arjan Jawanda, defensive lineman Matthew Somoza, linebacker Tim Dan and wide receiver Charlie Markee — all still going through the process with colleges. Those activities should be resolved by late winter or early spring.
If they sign, it could make a total of six college football commits out of an accomplished senior class of 40.
For Goodman, the next chapter of his football career begins after June graduation.
“(Dayton) is the best opportunity I could get,” Goodman said. “Not just for football but for my family and setting me up for life after football.”
Photo Credits: Finn Goodman and Marge Braun
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