Wade Smith catches his breath during a recent wrestling practice.

ILWACO — Ilwaco wrestling head coach Larry Kemmer is excited for the mat season to start.

“I’m just glad to have the kids back in the room for what will be an almost normal season,” said Kemmer, who has coached for seven years including the past four seasons as head coach.

The covid-19 shutdown hurt athletes chances of any sense of normality for wrestlers, who perform indoors in the closest-contact WIAA sport.

“After last year, anything more than a couple weeks and a few matches is going to be great,” Kemmer added. “The kids now have something to look forward to — a real postseason with a state tournament.”

And returning senior Chris Lake has been to Tacoma’s Mat Classic. He took fifth place at the WIAA 2B tournament in 2020, regrouping after a semifinal loss to the eventual 138-pound state champion.

Others returning on the boys’ roster are senior Gabriel McCargish and Noah Cherry. “They give us a firm foundation to build on,” Kemmer said.

For the girls, Bethany Martin, who was on the Fisherman football team, is the only returning female wrestler.

In addition to those names, seven other boys and one girl have turned out for early practices.

“The other eight are mostly underclassmen,” Kemmer noted. “All of them are working hard so far, and I am looking forward to how they improve over the season.”

In the covid-curtailed late spring season earlier this year, Ilwaco was second in Pacific League 2B.

However, Kemmer and assistant Frank Wolmack will be preparing their squad for different opponents this season.

“Our league is always tough, but with the addition of Forks and Stevenson dropping down from the 1A it makes it that much better.”

Action began in faraway Forks Dec. 4 and then moves closer to home at the Warrenton Tournament Dec. 10-11. The squad will see action in Clatskanie (Dec. 30) and Seaside (Jan. 7-8) before the first of two home meets Jan. 11.