We moved one step closer to crowning the winner of the USL Championship’s Players’ Shield this weekend, witnessed one of the most comprehensive displays by Sacramento Republic FC in a while, and also got one of the most incomprehensible endings of the season as well.

Here are the three big storylines we took away from Week 30’s action, our picks for who’s up and who’s down coming out of the weekend, and thoughts on everything else we saw around the league.

TOP THREE STORYLINES

1. TAYLOR DAVILA’S TIME TO SHINE

When Louisville City FC found itself down by a pair of goals to Memphis 901 FC on Saturday night at Lynn Family Stadium inside the opening 20 minutes, midfielder Taylor Davila felt determined to do something about it.

Partly, at least, because of the culpability he felt for the hole his side was in.

“I was mad at myself,” said Davila. “I felt like I could have done better on their two goals defensively.”

When you’re a central midfielder of the caliber the 24-year-old has shown himself to be the past two seasons, that sort of move is within reach.

• KEY INFLUENCE: Davila got LouCity back on track in the 25th minute, threading a through-ball from the center circle that picked out the run of Wilson Harris, who proceeded to bag his 17th goal of the season.

• PIN-POINT RANGE: He then got into the act with his first goal of the night five minutes before halftime. Surveying his options 25 yards from goal, Davila figured the shot was on and pinged a finish in off the right post that left 901 FC goalkeeper Triston Henry helpless.

• HE SAID IT: “I have scored a couple goals from out there. I thought I was wide open, and if they come and step to me, then I can slip it to someone who's even closer to goal. If they don't, I'm confident in myself to put it in a corner.” – Davila on his finish

After Elijah Wynder put LouCity ahead deep in first-half stoppage time, Davila added his second of the night 10 minutes into the second half before helping close out a comfortable victory. It was a vintage display, the sort that saw Davila earn All-League First Team honors last season despite Rio Grande Valley FC missing the playoffs, and one that likely kept him on course for another end-of-season award.

Davila now has seven goals and six assists for LouCity and ranks sixth in the Championship in American Soccer Analysis’ Goals Added metric at a +7.71 mark, the best among central midfielders. As Louisville closes in on the Players’ Shield, Davila has had exactly the impact LouCity was hoping for when he arrived this offseason.

“He’s been incredible for us this year both on and off the ball,” said LouCity Head Coach Danny Cruz. “You talk about a high-character individual. This is a young man who comes to work every day with a smile on his face who pushes the central midfield group to be better.”

2. SACRAMENTO FOLLOWS THROUGH

There have been two issues that have come to the fore for Sacramento Republic FC this season. The first was the club’s home form, which saw it claim only three wins before the start of August at Heart Health Park. The second had been fading out of games, resulting in dropped leads or results.

On Sunday evening at home to New Mexico United, it banished both in emphatic fashion. Republic FC’s 4-0 win powered by a goal and assist from Luis Felipe Fernandes was the version of the side we’ve been waiting to see for a while and one that proved it could be a contender in the West down the stretch.

• HOME COMFORTS: Sacramento’s win wasn’t just its fourth in a row at home, but it was also it fourth consecutive shutout at Heart Health Park. Republic FC has now held opponents off the scoreboard at home for 407 consecutive minutes with two home games remaining in the regular season.

• THROUGH THE TAPE: Holding a two-goal lead at the break, Republic FC produced a second half to match. It not only added to its lead with two well-created goals down the right side but held New Mexico to an Expected Goals mark of 0.17xG, leaving the visitors little room to try and deliver a repeat of the game-winning performance from when they’d met at Isotopes Park.

• HE SAID IT: “We focused on home form maybe four or five weeks ago because our home form wasn't very good this year. We said we have to be a priority now until the end of the regular season. And since we've done that, we've won four and kept four clean sheets. But we have to keep it going.” – Republic FC defender Lee Desmond

The big question for Republic FC is whether it can take the performances it has produced at home in the last few weeks and take them on the road. From a 10-game undefeated run to start the season away from home, Sacramento has lost four in a row away.

If it can put all the pieces together, though, this outing might stand as the warning shot the rest of the Western Conference needs to pay attention to.

3. WHAT THE HECK, LAS VEGAS?

One of the great things about this game? The moments that defy all logic and reason.

Which brings us to Las Vegas Lights FC, and arguably the most improbable win of the season, secured with goals in the sixth and ninth minute of second-half stoppage time against Phoenix Rising FC on Saturday night.

Yes, the Lights had persisted. They could have equalized seven minutes before halftime only for Khori Bennett’s header from the top of the six-yard area to fly well over the crossbar. But there wasn’t much in the way of attacking threat that said their undefeated streak was going to continue, let alone turn things all the way around.

And then things got weird.

• NGANDO FROM DISTANCE: There’s no logical explanation for a goalkeeper as good as Rising’s Rocco Ríos Novo to cheat far enough toward an anticipated cross that it leaves his near post open for J.C. Ngando to drive home a shot from 30 yards into said corner, but it happened.

• WING AND A PRAYER: Grayson Doody, meanwhile, could hardly have anticipated he would score his first goal for the Lights when what was supposed to be a cross from the left side ended up taking an awkward hop in the penalty area and found the right corner of the net. And yet, here we are.

• COMEBACK KIDS: Did Las Vegas make its own luck? Probably not, but that doesn’t matter anymore. They earned a club-record fourth comeback win this season, so maybe in addition to everything else, José Bautista, Gianleonardo Neglia and Dennis Sanchez have caused some good karma to be running around the place.

Las Vegas is now almost certain to be heading to the playoffs. It might even host in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. What we can probably say is it’s not going to play a weirder game all season. Maybe.

Three Up

Augustine Williams – The Indy Eleven forward banged home the first hat trick of his career in the USL Championship against Miami for his first goals since the Open Cup Quarterfinal against Atlanta United FC in July. If the Boys in Blue could use anyone getting hot right now, it’s the Sierra Leone international.

Le Rouge’s Momentum – Saturday’s 2-0 win in Monterey Bay was Detroit’s third in a row, and they’ve only conceded once in the past four games. That’s the sort of form you want to carry into a visit to the Charleston Battery on Saturday.

Hugo Fauroux – What a time to become the first goalkeeper to record an assist in Loudoun United FC history. Fauroux’s flicked assist for Kalil ElMedkhar’s finish against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC was a thing of beauty.

• READ MORE: How many goalkeepers have recorded an assist in the USL Championship?

Three Down

Monterey Bay F.C. – MBFC hasn’t scored a goal in 542 minutes and hasn’t led a game since July. That’s not the way you want to go into October with your playoff chances dwindling.

North Carolina FC – Sure, a day game on the road two time zones away is a bid different from what you’re used to, but the up and down nature of North Carolina’s performance is so perplexing. One week we think they’re playoff bound, then next it just doesn’t happen.

Oakland Roots SC – Four games without a win and four games without a goal, Roots is in freefall at exactly the wrong time.

THE REST OF THE ACTION

#ELPvNC: On chances, El Paso had probably shaded things against North Carolina before they were gifted a stoppage-time penalty kick. Calm work by Joaquin Rivas to put it away and get some good vibes around Locomotive’s camp.

#INDvMIA: That’s how you manage a get-right opportunity. Yes, it took a little while for the goals to arrive for Indy, but there never seems a serious doubt that they would eventually start going in given the chances the hosts were creating against Miami’s fragile back line.

#PITvBHM: Stéfano Pinho can really pick a corner sometimes, hey? Big result for Legion at a venue in Highmark Stadium where it had never earned a result before, and a horrible result for the Hounds’ playoff chances as they drop points at home once again.

#COSvLDN: Switchbacks Head Coach James Chambers said his side got what it deserved with Loudoun’s stoppage-time equalizer. “We were very naïve in the last couple of minutes of the game,” he added. “The boys have been superb at managing games, and tonight we didn’t do that.”

#SAvRI: Albert Dikwa not only scores the fastest goal in Rhode Island FC’s history, but also the earliest goal that’s ever been scored against San Antonio FC. The two-game bump RIFC sustained is well behind them after back-to-back wins, and SAFC’s playoff streak is in serious trouble now.

#MBvDET: When Ben Morris scores goals for Detroit, they aren’t half-pretty. Superb strike again before Connor Rutz’s late insurance goal – although, against a Monterey Bay side that has shown no evidence of being able to score, did they really need one?

#OAKvTUL: Something had to give in this contest, and Aaron Bibout delivered off a great piece of build-up for Tulsa to earn his side three points. That’s going to make the Western Conference playoff race that much more interesting down the stretch.