There have been ups and downs in Collin Smith’s season on loan with Birmingham Legion FC.

Some of that is part of being a young player, where the ebb and flow of a campaign at 19-year-old may mean you’re not always going to be at your best.

Part of that could also be attributed to Smith’s stints back with FC Dallas, where he was recalled during different parts of the summer to provide depth for the MLS club.

This Sunday evening produced arguably the best we’ve seen from the Jacksonville, Fla. native, however, as his individual performance helped clinch Legion FC’s fifth consecutive trip to the postseason in the side’s 2-0 win against Monterey Bay F.C.

Smith was sharp throughout, completing 34 of 37 passes overall while completing 2 of 3 dribbles and notching a pair of chances created in the final third. He was solid as well defensively, winning 4 of 7 duels and one tackle while holding firm on the right side of the back line.

And then, with 10 minutes to go, he provided a moment for his highlight reel, shaking a defender with a deceptive move in the right side of the penalty area before lacing home a shot just inside the left post to seal the win for the hosts at Protective Stadium.

“[I’m] excited, man,” Smith said postgame, looking ahead to the playoffs. “I mean, this is all the work we put in the whole year. This is what we've been shooting for. So, I was glad to obviously get a goal in front of the fans to obviously boost us into playoffs, but I couldn't do that without the help of my teammates and the fans around us. So, yeah, it was great. It was awesome.”

Smith’s ups and downs have been in some ways a reflection of Legion FC’s campaign. From the high of the club’s run to the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to the letdowns that have seen the side miss out on challenging for a top-four position, it’s not all gone swimmingly in Birmingham this season.

But if Smith and his teammates can find the quality they have shown capable of in two weeks, there’s the chance for Legion FC’s season to come good in the end.

Here are some other young standouts who’ve caught our eye in the past week…

- Nathan Worth, FC Tulsa – The 16-year-old midfielder put together another solid performance even as his side slipped out of postseason contention, completing 41 of 48 passes and winning 2 of 2 tackles and 4 of 7 duels.

- Matthew Corcoran, Birmingham Legion FC – Fresh off representing the United States U-17s in Brazil, Corcoran came on as a substitute for Legion FC on Sunday and helped see out the game, completing 10 of 11 passes and notching two chances created in just 15 minutes.

- Dominic Gasso, Detroit City FC – The 20-year-old put in work as a lone holding midfielder against Loudoun United FC, winning a game-high five tackles and winning 8 of 12 duels while making four recoveries in Le Rouge’s 3-0 victory.

- Tomas Ritondale, Rio Grande Valley FC – The 21-year-old was pushed into action late in the first half as a substitute against Sacramento Republic FC and had a solid outing, completing 36 of 36 passes and recording one chances created and one shot while winning 2 of 2 tackles and making two interceptions.

- Eric Oteng, Las Vegas Lights FC – The 21-year-old recorded his second assist of the season against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Saturday night while recording three shots and two chances created overall.