TACOMA, Wash. – In a season where rookies have highlighted the headlines, it’s been the collective veteran force getting the job done lately.

RELATED: Alan de Souza wins sold-out PBR Everett to maintain hold on No. 5 spot in world standings

Seeing No. 3 Eduardo Aparecido secure a win in Billings, Montana, last weekend and No. 5 Alan de Souza follow it up Thursday night with his first win of the season, suddenly the old guard is back in the spotlight.

With the 2024 Unleash The Beast tour just two regular season events away from embracing the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast, these last few hundred available points mean A LOT:

Not only potentially making a huge difference in regard to the Danger Zone (riders outside the Top 15, thus not yet guaranteed to move onto the PBR World Finals: Championship stage inside AT&T Stadium), but in the world title race itself.

And when you consider the riders just put on a show 62 miles north, which wrapped up Thursday night, the perils of the late-season grind are REAL, with riders potentially set to ride up to a sixth bull in five days Sunday afternoon.

With veterans occupying six of the Top 7 spots at the midweek event, it’s oddly been the rookies who have slowed down a bit as the season has approached its conclusion.

For as much of an advantage as the tour’s youngsters have enjoyed, embracing youthful and fresh, quick-healing bodies, maybe there’s something to be said about having “been there and done that” after all.

Entering the weekend slate as the No. 17-ranked cowboy, Daylon Swearingen brings his 16-for-52 record into Tacoma, where he’ll look to record his 17th conversion of the season.

Now successful in three of his last six attempts, the Piffard, New York, native seems to be rounding into contending form at the right time.

RELATED: 2024 Unleash The Beast Game Notes: Tacoma

As one of just four cowboys to ride two or more bulls in Everett, he tied his season-high, fourth-place finish (earned in Jacksonville, Florida) on his way to collecting 47.5 UTB points.

Besting both of his long round opponents Gangster Blues (85.25 points) and Zeus (86.25 points) to kick the run off, it was Snake Eyes who kept the talent from his first flawless performance of the weekend.

Representing his fifth Top 10 effort throughout the 20 events he’s attended, he hasn’t been the usual, consistent threat we’ve seen in seasons past. But with at least one conversion in 13 of those 20 appearances, he’s kept himself within striking distance.

The only thing left to do is put the pedal to the metal here over the final stretch.

And as the saying goes, “All it takes is one.”

“Daylon Swearingen might be back, guys,” 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis said on Thursday’s CBS Sports Network broadcast.

“This is the Daylon Swearingen we’re used to seeing.”

However, the 2022 World Champion won’t be the only one looking to capitalize inside Tacoma Dome by parlaying some midweek momentum.

With No. 33 Ezekiel Mitchell (fifth) and No. 38 Kyler Oliver (third) turning in Top 5 finishes alongside Swearingen, the duo of veterans are hoping to secure their spot at Cowtown Coliseum and can very much do so with another set of quality efforts this weekend.

And when you throw a hungry No. 4 Dalton Kasel back into the mix, set to resume his gold buckle chase after sitting out Billings and Everett, fans can expect the premier series veterans to put on a show Saturday night!

With Unleash The Beast set to invade Tacoma Dome Saturday night during the 22nd event of the 2024 premier series campaign April 20-21, let’s take a look at who’s drawing into the lineup during the PBR Tacoma, presented by Cooper Tires:

ROUND 1 MATCHUPS Mauricio Gulla Moreira vs. Soul King Bob Mitchell vs. Ridgeway Andrew Alvidrez vs. Slobber Knocker Ednelio Almeida vs. Detroit Lean Eli Vastbinder vs. Smokey Daniel Keeping vs. Twisted Feather Shane Scott vs. Zeus Callum Miller vs. Crazy Party Keyshawn Whitehorse vs. Bootstrap Bill Dawson Branton vs. Wishful Thinking Boudreaux Campbell vs. Tatonka Jake Morinec vs. Barely Legal Felipe Furlan vs. Tim Buck Two Vitor Losnake vs. Brown Bomber JaCauy Hale vs. Cowboy Tuxedo Paulo Eduardo Rossetto vs. Sharp Shooter Kyler Oliver vs. Kamikaze Mason Taylor vs. Wing Man Jesse Petri vs. Regulator Alvaro Ariel vs. Hell Bound Jaxton Mortensen vs. Pearl Snap Elijah Monnett vs. Rodeo Conner Halverson vs. Snoop Dog Ezekiel Mitchell vs. Get At Me Kaiden Loud vs. Nitty Gritty Alex Cerqueira vs. Crawfish Richard *Cody Jesus vs. Rockville Leonardo Castro vs. Bud Man *Julio Cesar Marques vs. Devil’s Revenge *Thiago Salgado vs. Time Bomb *Wyatt Rogers vs. WSM’s Time In A Bottle Daylon Swearingen vs. Velvet Revolver Brady Fielder vs. Bossed Up Sage Steele Kimzey vs. The Judge *Joao Ricardo Vieira vs. Lights Out *Koltin Hevalow vs. Texas Rain Alan de Souza vs. Fort Knox *Dalton Kasel vs. Pookie Holler John Crimber vs. Kwik Lock *Eduardo Aparecido vs. War Train *Cassio Dias vs. Sky Walker * denotes a rematch OUT BECAUSE OF INJURY/OTHER Austin Richardson (Injury) Caden Bunch (Injury) Kaique Pacheco (Injury) Cort McFadden (Injury) Wingson Henrique da Silva (Injury) Clay Guiton (Injury) Jose Vitor Leme (Injury) Ben Bode (Injury) Marco Rizzo (Injury) Ederson Santos (Injury) Silvano Alves (Declined) ROUND 1 REMATCHES Cassio Dias vs. Sky Walker (88 points in Glendale, Arizona) Cody Jesus vs. Rockville (1.9 seconds in Everett, Washington; 4.15 seconds in Las Vegas, Nevada) Dalton Kasel vs. Pookie Holler (5.15 seconds in Albuquerque, New Mexico) Eduardo Aparecido vs. War Train (2.21 seconds in Nampa, Idaho) Jaxton Mortensen vs. Pearl Snap (1.26 seconds in Everett, Washington) Joao Ricardo Vieira vs. Lights Out (86.75 points in Sacramento, California) Julio Cesar Marques vs. Devil’s Revenge (88.25 points in Salt Lake City, Utah) Koltin Hevalow vs. Texas Rain (3.93 seconds in Los Angeles, California) Thiago Salgado vs. Time Bomb (68.5 points in Nampa, Idaho) Wyatt Rogers vs. WSM’s Time In A Bottle (86 points in Eugene, Oregon; 3.76 seconds in Everett, Washington)

ALAN DE SOUZA STAYS HOT WITH WIN IN EVERETT Picking up his first win of the premier series season, and his first UTB victory overall since 2019, No. 5 Alan de Souza has been ON FIRE lately! The only rider to exit the PBR Everett showcase with a perfect 3-for-3 record, the 30-year-old has found the buzzer in 8 of his last 10 attempts as he continues to blaze a trail towards a career-best finish. Trailing only No. 1 Cassio Dias with the second-most qualified rides on tour, his 29-for-53 record speaks for itself.

Going the distance aboard Get At Me in Round 1 for 83.25 points, the veteran made it known early that he showed up to the rare midweek event for a reason: To earn points and continue his climb up the Unleash The Beast World Championship standings. Later earning a re-ride in the second round, he matched Smoke Down’s every move for a quality 86.75 points as he punched his ticket to yet another short round ride. Eventually selecting Centerfold as his final animal athlete opponent, the cowboy sealed the deal by posting an 85.5-point dance with the bovine, thus clinching the event title.

Remaining at the No. 5 spot overall, he’s within 28 points of Dalton Kasel and now just 619.33 points behind Dias. And with more than 750 points available at the PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast — Championship, he’s officially within striking distance!

PBR TACOMA: WHO’S IN? WHO’S OUT? Anytime one of the world’s Top 5-ranked bull riders returns to competition, it’s kind of a big deal. When it’s “Mr. 90-pointer” himself, the weekend’s entertainment level jumps a tier with his presence alone, as there’s just something electric about watching him ride bulls. But having dropped a spot since sitting out the past two events, Kasel is prepared to give it a go Saturday night during his Round 1 matchup against Pookie Holler.

Taking some time to heal up after enduring a few bumps and bruises in Billings, both No. 43 Eli Vastbinder (in as an alternate rider, with several Top 40 guys banged up) and No. 52 Jake Morinec (in via in the Qualifier List) will return to the chutes after sitting out of the midweek clash. With each of the cowboys needing a podium finish or two here over the final stretch in order to secure World finals berth, they’ll look to take advantage of their brief break Saturday, set to dance with Smokey (Vastbinder) and Barely Legal (Morinec) inside Tacoma Dome.

Unfortunately, this weekend’s parade will be without a few of the tour’s top talents, with a trio of riders in No. 11 Kaique Pacheco, No. 15 Cort McFadden and No. 46 Brady Oleson are all missing the second showdown of the week after picking up various injuries, respectively, in Everett.

While Pacheco and McFadden have clinched their spots at the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Eliminations, and with another successful conversion or two between Louisville, Kentucky, (the regular-season finale next weekend) and the first round of the three-round postseason gauntlet, they will likely find themselves at the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Championship. But for Oleson, who’s just 6-for-26 on the season, this could serve as a bit larger of a road block, as he’ll need to not only heal up in time for some late-season points next weekend, but would need to ride at least two, if not three, bulls in order to clinch his spot inside Cowtown Coliseum.

FOLLOW ALONG Representing the 22nd event of the 2024 Unleash The Beast season, the second of two late-season Pacific Northwest showdowns is set to entertain fans in Tacoma, Washington, via the two-day, three-round showcase. The second-from-last regular season meeting is set to begin Saturday, April 20 at 6:45 p.m. PST, with Round 1 airing live via RidePass on Pluto TV.

Featuring the top-ranked riders from Saturday’s opening round, this weekend’s PBR Tacoma, presented by Cooper Tires: Bucking Battle will air on CBS Television Network on Sunday, April 21 at 9:30 a.m. PST.

RELATED: Where to Watch: Tacoma

Round 2’s action will begin Sunday, April 21 at 1:45 p.m. PST, followed by the short go, with all of Championship Saturday’s action airing live on CBS Sports Network beginning at 2 p.m. PST.

Fans can also catch all three rounds of action on the TUDN Spanish broadcast, with Round 1 set to air on Saturday, April 20 at Noon PST and all of championship Sunday’s outs airing on Sunday, April 21 at Noon PST.

Fans can stay tuned to PBR.com and PBR social media channels throughout the weekend for the latest scores, wrecks, injury updates and beyond as Unleash The Beast prepares to invade Tacoma Dome April 20-21!

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media