THE SENIORS leading the Blackhawk team pose with the loot from their Region win and Lynette Kingsbury in the place of her daughter and their former classmate, Tanna Kingsbury, who passed away at the start of their sophomore year to a rare form of juvenile bone cancer.

The Sanborn Central/Woonsocket Lady Blackhawks have earned a trip to the “B’s” for an amazing fifth time in the past six years.
Friday night’s 51-38 win over DeSmet in Madison punched their ticket to the big show, their third trip in three years and fifth since the two-school co-op was established in 2011-12.
The Hawks, which have been rated No. 2 by the Sportswriters Association Polls for most of the season, enter the tournament as the fifth seed with a 22-1 record.
SCW will begin this year’s “B’s” as the second game of  the tournament’s first session, Thursday afternoon at 1:45 p.m. when they’ll play fourth-seeded New Underwood (22-1). The State “B” Tournament will be played Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the Huron Arena.
The winner of that game will play the winner of Thursday afternoon’s first game between No. 1-seeded Warner (22-2) and seed eight, Timber Lake (19-3), Friday at 6 p.m. The loser will enter the consolation bracket and play afternoon games throughout the rest of the tourney, beginning with Friday at noon.
Thursday evening’s session resumes at 6 p.m., when No. 2 seed Sully Buttes (22-1)  takes on No. 7 seed Parker (19-4). That game will be followed by the No. 3 seed, No. 1-rated (and SCW’s only loss of the season) Ethan (22-1) versus sixth seeded Avon (21-2).
All of Sanborn Central/Woonsocket’s games will be broadcast on 105.9 KMIT and the entire Girls State Class “B” Tournament will be broadcast on www.SDHSAA.com.
Going to the games? What you need to know:
Dress up themes  for each day of the tournament have been chosen by the schools’ student bodies. Thursday is “Jersey Day,” Friday is “Thrift Shop” and Saturday is Blackhawk Day. All students and fans are invited to take part.
The overall theme for the tournament for Sanborn Central/Woonsocket is “Not All Heroes Wear Capes,” in honor of Tanna Kingsbury, who would have been a senior this year. Kingsbury lost an 18 month, on-and-off battle with Ewing’s sarcoma, a juvenile cancer that attacks the large bones, in the fall of 2014, just one month before her 16th birthday.
The schools’ booster clubs have reserved a conference room at the Crossroads Hotel for a social each day from 4-5 p.m. for all parents, players and fans. A pep rally will be held there each day at 4:15 p.m. and snacks will be served for a free-will offering to cover expenses.
No advance tickets are being sold for the tournament. All tickets can be bought at the door. Single session tickets are $6 for students and $10 for adults. All-session tickets, sold on Thursday only, are $22 for students and $35 for adults.
A welcome home celebration has also been scheduled for the team, coaches and cheerleaders at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday in the Sanborn Central School gym.

…Pick up this week’s issue to read more about the Lady Blackhawks’ history with the State B in the past years, and to read and see pictures of the DeSmet game!