Last year’s student section was voted one of the best student sections in the state by The Times. This was the first time the Bishop Noll student section, after decades of crazy costumes and spirited cheers, has been recognized. Last year, Wally Kasprzycki, Zec Gasper, Eric Rodriguez, Alec Rodriguez, Eric Rivera and Julio Casares (‘12) led the fan section.
But with this spirited group now out of the building, who is left to pick up the reigns?
Some say the junior class, a group whose superfan costumes placed a close second to last year’s seniors’ costumes, should be the leaders of this year’s student section, but if everyone looks to the senior class to lead the school, will they be able to live up to the expectations of being the “sixth man”?
To prove many wrong, the senior class wants to step up their game this year to overcome the junior class.
“We will be the loudest, craziest, classiest, and most united class that the school has ever had,” said senior Chase McDermott.
McDermott stood up for his class, who he believed were just as creative and spirited as anyone else that stood in last year’s student section.
“Last year we definitely had the highest class percentage that attended last year’s basketball games, and almost everyone dressed,” McDermott said.
Stepping up to lead the superfans as a senior, McDermott has new ideas for cheers and chants.
“A chant that [juniors Jon Mitchell and Keny Ruesken ] suggested was to do the Joe Satriani “crowd chant”.  If we get the whole student section to do this chant it would definitely be amazing,” McDermott said.
But with a pink flamingo, a gorilla, Super Mario, and Jesus in the audience, the junior class definitely did not go unnoticed. They don’t plan on letting the history of Bishop Noll superfans waste away.
“The thing that we juniors do better than the senior superfans is that we are much louder and crazier,” said junior Anthony Repay, who will again be dressing as Jesus for this year’s games.
Last year’s superfan leaders have a few words of advice for those who intend to take over.
“Have a good time and don’t miss any of the games because it’s a once in a lifetime chance,” said Casares, a freshman at Indiana University Bloomington who left his stamp on the student section as the penguin who led the roller coaster cheer.
Rivera, another IU freshman, known as his superfan alias “Bloo”,  recommended to “try getting into the other team’s heads.”
Casares also says the superfans should plan theme nights for the nights of a big games, such as the Andrean game.
But to any Noll fan, the real competition isn’t between the crazed faces dressed in costumes sitting in the stands.
“Superfanning isn’t about being better than one another,” McDermott said. “It’s about all the classes coming together and going crazy for the team.”