The rejuvenation of the LT boys basketball student section started with just a few guys who loved the sport. Michael Grace ‘15 and Joseph Bruni ‘15 led the early development of the Weirdos in early 2013, encouraging their friends to attend the sophomore basketball games.

The original Weirdos wore ridiculous outfits — like blueman suits and banana costumes — and began the group’s well-known ambition of getting wild, rowdy and weird.

Word spread, students began to flock to games and the Weirdos centralized their leadership. The group is currently run by the Weirdos Board of Directors: Bruni, Grace, Spencer Decker ‘15, Brendan Swinehart ‘15 and Emmett Corrigan ‘15. They’re each former LT basketball players who meet before big games to coordinate themes, outfits, flyers, chants and posters.

The group’s recent success has spurred the development of other student sections within the West Suburban conference, while also making itself known as one of the most rambunctious groups in the state.

For example, the Weirdos reignited LT’s rivalry with Hinsdale Central into a conflict as fiery as it has ever been in the last decade, with both competing student sections packing Hinsdale Central’s gym to maximum capacity at the Bluenami-themed game on Jan. 9. And when the Weirdos didn’t attend a game at OPRF on Dec.19, OPRF’s student section repeatedly chanted “Where are the Weirdos?”

The Weirdos have made a name for themselves in the suburbs, but will they leave a legacy?

“We’re going to be remembered as the kids who brought school spirit back to LT,” Corrigan said. “Now basketball games are a huge event.”

Here’s a look at the some of the main Weirdos:

Brendan Swinehart ‘15

One of the most important members of the Weirdos Board of Directors is their creative mastermind, Swinehart.

He designs the Weirdos’ flyers, in addition to helping with the mobilization of the group on game days.

“I’m always thinking of new ideas,” Swinehart said. “There’s a lot going on behind the scenes.”

His favorite part of the game is getting into opposing players’ heads, most notably when he and the Weirdos were instrumental in taking top recruit Simmie Cobbs’s head out of the game in LT’s win against OPRF last season, Swinehart said.

Swinehart also exemplifies the definition of a Weirdo with his lively, energetic school spirit.

“Brendan just never stops jumping around,” Bruni said. “I like it, but other people might find it a little weird.”

Emmett Corrigan ‘15

Yelling and chanting with his loud, imposing figure, Corrigan is the Weirdos’ enforcer.

“If there’s anybody heckling and getting on people individually, it’s Corrigan,” Bruni said. “He’s like the police of the Weirdos.”

Corrigan loves getting loud, starting chants and making the Weirdos’ presence known. He said that if the student section gets quiet, he’s usually the guy who starts chanting something in the hopes that it will catch on.

“Being a part of [the Weirdos] makes me miss the game,” Corrigan said. “But it also makes me cheer harder to make sure LT wins and my old teammates succeed.”

Although his role can get pretty serious, Corrigan enjoys the sillier side of the Weirdos, especially when the student section sings. One of his favorite moments as a Weirdo was last season, when the student section collectively sang their rendition of “I’m a Little Teapot” at the Blackout game versus Hinsdale Central last season.

Joseph Bruni ‘15

As one of the section’s two original founders, Bruni has been one of the greatest influences in shaping who the Weirdos are today.

He organizes the meetings, and like many of the other members of the Board of Directors, he finds his impact most important during the games.

“I just scream at the top of my lungs,” Bruni said. “Constant spurts of screaming. When I go home, I can’t talk. I try to drink some tea, but I don’t really like it. So it doesn’t help.”

Whenever Danny O’Malley ‘15 scores, Bruni said that he loves to chant “He’s a fifth-year!”, as an acknowledgment of O’Malley’s resemblance to a grown man.

“Just cheering on our friends and giving them the extra edge in games is a really good feeling,” Bruni said.

Spencer Decker ‘15

Decker is a Founding Father of the Weirdos; he was alongside Bruni during the birth of the organization.

If anything gets Decker excited, it’s humiliating opposing players, specifically because of what they’re wearing.

“You just see guys wearing ankle socks or big guys wearing low-tops,” Decker said. “Another thing is wearing Under Armour basketball shoes. That’s amateur. Eighth-grade stuff.”

But he also said that there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing an opponent miss a dunk, which allows him to use his favorite chant – “You can’t dunk!”

“It’s a rare one, so it’s humiliating,” Decker said.