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It’s been a long season, but La Conner High wrestlers can’t wait to go to the mat one more time.

Only now, it’ll be on the big stage.

Five La Conner grapplers have advanced to Mat Classic XXVI at the Tacoma Dome this Friday and Saturday, after having survived recent Regional trials in Darrington and Burlington.

Josh Summers, Ben Harper, Riley Morgan, and Sid Lease are Mat Classic qualifiers, after having placed at the boys’ 2B Regional Meet in Darrington.

Frances Ziemantz returns a second straight year to Tacoma, after reaching the finals in her weight class at the girls’ Regional event in Burlington.

Harper, who has been stellar all season, earned top runnerup honors in the 145-pound division at Darrington, losing only to Regional champ Mason Mackey. Harper, a senior, bested Arin Engle of Adna and Bryce Hungell of Ocosta prior to reaching the Regional finale.

Harper, son of La Conner head coach Barry Harper, is paired against Jacob McMillan of Liberty Bell in the first round of this weekend’s State competition.

Morgan, a sophomore, was second only to Concrete’s Kyle Nushart in the 152-pound class at Darrington. He defeated Tanner Fields of Adna and Kody Vik of Wahkiakum in his first two Regional clashes.

Morgan is matched against Kevin Knauff of Garfield-Palouse at Tacoma.

Josh Summers, also a sophomore, and whose stamina and tenacity in the 138s have impressed coach Harper all year, defeated Tyler Hollifie for third place at Regionals and a Mat Classic berth. He will face Carlos Cruz of Pateros in Tacoma’s opening round.

Sid Lease, no stranger to the Tacoma Dome — he was a member of the La Conner High State semifinal football team that played there in 2012 — returns as a State wrestling qualifier in the 182-pound ranks.

Lease punched his ticket to Tacoma after finishing third at Darrington, beating Cody Colean of Ocosta before dropping a hard-fought match to eventual Regional titlist Hunter Borden of Raymond.

Ziemantz, who was second in the Regional 190s at Burlington, will open in Tacoma opposite Centralia’s Emily Huerta, on the girls’ side of Mat Classic XXVI.

La Conner likely would’ve had yet another entrant at Tacoma in Amber Drye, but her season was cut short after sustaining a concussion. Though sidelined, Drye has hardly been idle.

She is handling stats duty for coach Harper and his staff.

Drye and the La Conner contingent hope her numbers add up quite nicely again.

And, if past performance is any indication, they should. Coach Harper’s charges have a history of giving a good accounting of themselves.