Spotlight shines on bullied cheerleader defended by athletes

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) - The story of three Kenosha middle school basketball players defending a cheerleader who has Down syndrome is attracting a lot of attention.

The three players had heard mean-spirited comments directed at cheerleader Desiree Andrews coming from the crowd during a game last year at Lincoln Middle School. During a timeout, Chase Vazquez, Scooter Terrien and Miles Rodriguez walked off the court to address the comments.

Desiree's father, Cliff, tells the Kenosha News (http://bit.ly/1wDYzus ) his phone has been ringing "nonstop" since the story surfaced, including calls from talk shows and news outlets. He says Desiree is "on cloud nine" with all the attention, but he says the story is really about the boys' standing up against bullying.

Since the incident, the gym at the school has been dubbed "D's House" in Desiree's honor.

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Information from: Kenosha News, http://www.kenoshanews.com