By Izzie McLawhorn, Shield Editor-in-Chief
At NRCA, students spend their Friday nights cheering on the varsity football team and celebrating community. Nestled between the 40- and 50-yard lines, NRCA’s student section has a fresh look this year.
Led by senior Will Benthall and his team of “Head Crazies,” the Castle Crazies bring school spirit and high energy to Knights athletic events.
“NRCA Castle Crazies is the student section that shows out to support our classmates at sporting events. It is our job to cheer (louder than the visiting team), dress out according to the theme, and bring the hype!” said senior Finley Mull, one of the Head Crazies.
Chosen to lead by the 2023-24 head of Castle Crazies, Benthall completely reshaped the way that Castle Crazies leadership functions. He selected seven seniors to help him run the student section this year. “When we had one person last year and all the years before, it kind of felt like they were just the one in charge,” Benthall said. Adding more people to the leadership team brings opportunities to increase communication and presence without overwhelming one person.
Focused on seeing the Knights succeed, the Head Crazies announce themes for games, plan tailgates and events, and lead students in chants so that all athletes feel encouraged to play their best. Since the assignment of Head Crazies, NRCA’s student section has grown tremendously.
Gathering to support NRCA athletes, one way that the student section has elevated football games is by joining the varsity cheerleaders in chants and cheers to energize the stands. Benthall believes that this new approach creates “more of a community vibe and brings everyone together.”
“This year, the group has changed to being more active on social media and gathering participation overall for the group. We are trying to really get people excited with things like Castle Crazies T-shirts and tailgating,” Mull added. Focusing on the future of Castle Crazies, Mull’s goal is “to get people really excited for the games and want to continue being a part of the group to become a Head Crazie when they are seniors!”
NRCA’s student section depends on all students, from middle school to high school, to pack the stands. Mull said, “I hope that other grades bring their new ideas to the school too!” And Benthall’s goal for the future leaders of Castle Crazies is that “this year's Head Crazies will select next year’s, and that will be carried on from year to year.” This new tradition aims to grow the student section larger and louder with each year.
The Castle Crazies communicate news about games and events using social media. “Our idea at first was we wanted to bring as many people to the games as possible,” Benthall said. “We use our social media to reach out to everybody. Sometimes we make things that are custom to kids our age, so they feel more interested in it.” Making fun videos that share key information about upcoming functions is one way that the Castle Crazies have made sure that the student sections are full.
Cheering on all athletes during their games is a high priority for the Castle Crazies. “My goal is to have so many people that we have to expand the student section, and I just want to be so loud so that all of the athletes can just hear us and feel supported by us,” Benthall said.
By coming together to support each other, the 2024-25 Castle Crazies have transformed the student section into a community of people eager to cheer on and lift up the varsity athletes of NRCA.
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