Disabato: One crusader to honor the Crazies

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Brother Rice’s Crusader Crazies have been going strong for 17 years. | Sun-Times Media

Updated: February 27, 2012 9:47AM

Shaun Jacob attended the Brother Rice-Marist basketball game nine days ago — no different than many supportive alumni from the respective schools — and stood amazed at the atmosphere.

Yes, the game itself was memorable, with Marist taking down Brother Rice 75-69.

But the action on the court was only part of what made the neighborhood battle so special, and left Jacob thinking he had to do something.

“I was just standing in the balcony, on the rail, and I’m saying to myself, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this at a high school game,’” said Jacob, a 1993 graduate of Brother Rice. “There were like, 500 Brother Rice students at the game. I just had to do something for them.”

So impressed was Jacob with the Crusader Crazies — the name of Rice’s student section, he made a call to the school the very next day.

“I wanted to honor them and show them how much they’re appreciated,” Jacob said.

The school agreed. Thus, “Crusader Crazy Appreciation Night” will take place Friday against Seton Academy.

“The Crazies always wear orange, so we’re having an Orange Out night and asking everyone to wear Crusader orange,” Jacob said.

That’s not all. During halftime of the sophomore game, 100 pizzas will be delivered to the cafeteria for all Crazies and incoming freshmen — future Crazies, if you will — and their families, to enjoy free of charge.

“They deserve it,” Jacob said. “When I graduated from Rice, we didn’t have the Crazies. They formed the very next year. I’ve just never seen anything like them at a high school game.”

He’s right.

Many student sections have tried, but none have duplicated the creativity, enthusiasm and loyalty of the Crazies.

They are the constant in an otherwise unpredictable world of high school sports. Home or away, year in, year out, the Crazies are in attendance for all Rice football and basketball games.

Even during down seasons, the Crazies remain supportive of the Crusaders.

The faces change with graduation, but there’s always another class ready to keep the tradition alive.

The only rule is that freshmen and sophomore Crazies stand in the back of the bleachers.

The first few rows are reserved for juniors and seniors who have paid their dues.

“All the kids love doing it,” Brother Rice senior Brian McQuillan said. “What’s better than hanging out with the guys on a Friday night? It’s a pride thing in being a Crusader and helping our team get an edge.”

And it’s quite an edge, mind you.

The Crusader Crazies are the best sixth man, bar none, in prep sports. It’s been that way for 17 years.

Marist’s RedHawk Rowdies give a valiant effort and Andrew’s T-Bolt Storm is gaining momentum, thanks to an undefeated and No. 1-ranked boys basketball team. Neither, though, is in the class of the Crazies.

Take, for instance, this little zinger directed at Marist’s Nic Weishar, as he stepped to the free-throw line against Rice: “Juuuuuudas, Juuuuuudas.” Not done overbearingly loud, mind you. But in a quiet, drawn out tone.

Why Judas? Weishar’s two older brothers graduated from Rice.

Many student sections chant, “Let’s Play Football” as an ode to their team having defeated an opponent on the grid. The Crazies took it a step further and unfurled a banner at Marist with the final score — of course Rice won — of the game played between the two rivals back in September.

It’s not all words, though. There’s the visual “roller coaster chant,” where the Crazies follow the lead of McQuillan, who directs the group to flow left or right like, well, Crazies on a roller coaster.

According to McQuillan, it’s up to a select few Crazies to give the “thumbs up or down” to a specific chant.

“Someone will think up a chant, tell the guys around me and we’ll give it the OK or not,” he said. “It’s fun to get into an opponent’s head and an honor to keep up the tradition.”

A tradition like no other.