Each week during the college football season, the Daily Herald will highlight the performances of high school and junior college athletes that have committed to BYU or are being recruited by the Cougars.

• Return to glory: A broken foot has kept BYU commit Mitch Matthews (6-5 195 WR) out of much of the 2008 season. But now he's back and helping Southridge (Ore.) make a strong run through the state 6A playoffs.

Matthews caught an 8-yard touchdown pass in his team's 45-7 state playoff win over Lincoln last week. Southridge (9-2) moves on to play 10-1 South Medford in this week's quarterfinals.

Matthews' return to action came in the season finale against Westview, where he caught three passes for 92 yards and a touchdown in his team's 54-14 win. In the first round of the playoffs, Matthews started a 48-0 run with a leaping catch on a fade route for a 4-yard touchdown as Southridge rolled past Oregon City 48-9.

• One to go: Top-ranked Timpview (12-0) outlasted Mountain Crest 37-35 in the Class 4A semifinals, setting up the showdown everyone has been anticipating against No. 2 Cottonwood (13-0) on Friday at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

BYU prospect Xavier Su'A Filo (6-5 265) has spent most of the 2008 on the offensive side of the ball but played defense late in the game against Mountain Crest, helping stop the Mustangs on the final drive of the game.

"I've always wanted to play defense here, but the coaches have always platooned," Su'A Filo said. "I was glad to have the opportunity to step up and be a part of it on defense. Our whole defense stepped it up on that last drive."

Not-so-good news for BYU commit Bronson Kaufusi (6-6 220 DE, Class of 2010), who injured his knee and won't play in this week's championship game.

• Season best: BYU's top prospect for the Class of 2010, Skyline (Wash.) quarterback Jake Heaps (6-2 190), threw for a season-high five touchdown passes to lead his team to a 49-6 victory over Federal Way in the first round of the 4A playoffs. Skyline, which has won 25 straight games, plays Auburn in the quarterfinals on Friday. For the season, Heaps is 132-of-203 (64.9 percent) for 2,091 yards, 26 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

• Revenge: Bingham took revenge for an early-season loss in the Class 5A semifinals, routing Skyline 37-15. BYU prospect Harvey Langi (6-1 205 RB, Class of 2011) led the way for Bingham with 174 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a 41-yarder. Defensively, BYU commit Remington Peck (6-5 220 TE/DE) recorded four tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery in a game he's been itching about since Week 1.

"There was definitely some motivation. I was one of the three kids that was suspended in the first game and we just had something to prove," Peck told the Deseret News.

Bingham (11-2) faces Alta (12-1) in the 5A title game on Friday at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.

• Revenge II: BYU's top prospect for the Class of 2009, Manti Te'o (6-2 225 LB), and his Punahou (Hawaii) teammates defeated St. Louis 41-28 to win the school's first Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I title since 2005 in front of 9,000 at Aloha Stadium. St. Louis was the only blemish on Punahou's record, taking a 40-19 victory back on Sept. 13.

Te'o anchored the Punahou defense and scored two touchdowns, including a 47-yard run.

"It's a great feeling," Te'o told the Honolulu Advertiser. "It's my senior year. There's no greater feeling. We've got two more games. We made it to the big dance."

Punahou will have a first-round bye in the state playoffs, playing the winner of Farrington and Kealakehe on Nov. 28.

• Being offensive on defense: BYU prospect Kyle Van Noy (6-4 202 LB) scored a pair of defensive touchdowns to lead top-ranked McQueen (11-0) to a 56-16 win over Galena in the first round of the Nevada Northern 4A Regional playoffs. Van Noy stripped the Gelena quarterback in the end zone and scooped up the ball to score in the first half.

"I was just able to get to the quarterback," Van Noy told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "It was a team effort. The other side was causing pressure and I reaped the benefits."

Later in the game, Van Noy also returned a fumble 25 yards for a score. McQueen moves on to play Reed in the second round of the playoffs.

• Not enough: BYU commit Brett Thompson (6-3 210 WR/RB) scored on two short touchdown runs, but it wasn't enough to overcome an amazing game by Ponderosa's Lyndell Scarr.

Scarr scored eight touchdowns to lead Ponderosa (Calif.) to a 61-35 victory, ending a five-game winning streak for Oak Ridge.

• Stout effort: Oaks Christian (Calif.) routed Nordhoff 62-8 to move to 10-0 and BYU prospect Zac Stout (6-1 215 LB) had his best game of the season. Stout had 12 tackles (eight solo) with a sack and a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown. In 10 games this season, Oaks Christian has outscored its opponents 489-55.

• Extra points: Palm Desert (Calif.) defensive back and BYU commit Trevor Bateman (5-11 165) lost to LaQuinta 28-22, the team's second straight loss, but at 8-2, Palm Desert will still make the state playoffs. ... BYU commit Jray Galea'i (6-0 170 S) and Kahuku (Hawaii) defeated Farrington 22-19 in the OIA Red finals and has a bye in the first round of the state Division I tournament.