Football is arguably the most popular sport in this area. Many players begin suiting up when they're just young kids, but a group of Freeport boys may not be able to take the field this fall.

It's been a very emotional month for the volunteers of the youth football league in Freeport, and it all started when they discovered more than 10,000 of the league's money disappeared from the bank. Some of the parents say the league's former president took the money and left town. Now they're doing everything they can to raise the money in time for this season.

These four parents have been meeting for weeks now, trying to pay delinquent bills and secure some football equipment. They say their headaches started about a month ago when the league's former president left town.

Vice President Phillip Ruckers took over and quickly realized there was a problem.

Phillip Ruckers, the league's new president, said, "When we finally got into the bank account and found out we were in the hole over $500 it was quite the shock it made us physically ill, sick."

Through their investigations, volunteers determined the money started disappearing in December, and it was much more than they originally thought.

The grant is the main source of funding for the league. Some of the canceled checks were written to cash, others to grocery stores and home repair centers, and they claim the league's former president signed checks for hundreds of dollars made out to himself.

Walton County sheriff's investigators are working the case and are trying to locate the suspect. In the meantime, the parents are paying league bills out of their own pockets, but they're running out of money and time.

Coach Jimmy Decker said "Everybody's talking about how they hate that it's happen, but we need help."

Ruckers is taking this especially hard. He says he doesn't want to have to tell the children they don't have anywhere to play.

"I love this town. I grew up in such a rural area and never had anything like this."

Yolanda Fortin, cheerleading coach, said, "Freeport may be a small town, but when it comes to heart it seems bigger than the big cities."

To help raise money, the children are holding car washes and bake sales. The next car wash will be held on June 21st at Kelly's in Freeport off of Highway 20.

If you'd like to help the Freeport youth football league you can make donations to Youth Football and Cheerleading of Freeport, Inc.