Dream Catchers cheer their special hearts out in Middle River

In Middle River, you can feel the spirit of a special cheerleading squad.

The Dream Catchers is made up of children with disabilities, rooting on the Renegades youth football team.

Mariyah Redman's been cheering since she was 4-years-old.

By age 14 Mariyah grew out of youth cheerleading, and was moving onto high school where she realized there was no programs for those with disabilities.

Mariyah called on her mother, Johnnitta, who was a cheer coach, and so the Dream Catchers were born.

"They have a chance to just be like everybody else," said Johnnitta. "That's the main thing, be like everybody else."

The concept is important to parents like Angela White. Her daughter, Cordelia, is 11-years-old.

"Feeling included is something that's super important to us. Cheer is like her life," Angela says. "She loves it. She cheers from the time she wakes up to the time she goes to bed."

Three years ago when the Dream Catchers first started cheering, they were the only squad of its kind.

Now other teams in Perry Hall and Bel Air have joined them, sometimes leading to friendly competition.

Recent bragging rights belong to the Dream Catchers because they've taken first place in their last three events.

"You hear the entire gymnasium go crazy for the dream catchers," Angela explained. "It gives you chills. And then when they get done and they blow their kiss."

The Dream Catchers is welcoming to everyone, in fact there's no age limit. Their youngest member is four.

See them in action at the Renegades team pep rally on Friday and Saturday's homecoming game at Middle River Middle School.