Action News Troubleshooters: Lost helmets had Montgomery County youth football team worried

A touchdown for the Troubleshooters! They answered a call for help from a Montgomery County youth football team worried it would have to delay the start of the season.

Call it the case of the missing helmets. Back in January, the Lower Perk Longhorns organization sent 120 helmets to a company for reconditioning. It is now 83 days past the promised return date with no answers on when they'll be shipped. Five hours after the Troubleshooters got involved there is now a commitment to return the helmets this week.

The Lower Perk Longhorns are young athletes ranging in ages from 6 to 14-years-old. They're supposed to start official practice on August 1 for mandatory heat acclimation. But there's a problem.

"Here's our equipment room and for a non-profit youth organization, as you can see there's no way we're going to have 150 helmets ready for August 1 if these things don't come in right away," explained Lower Perk Longhorn's President Rocco Fusco.

The Longhorns sent 120 helmets to Schutt Sports for reconditioning back in January. The contract shows the equipment return date was May 1.

"We have yet to have those helmets and we are having a really, really difficult time in communicating with Schutt and getting a date when they're going to be able to ship these helmets," said Fusco.

So Fusco contacted the Troubleshooters.

"I have 150 kids, zero helmets, you can't play tackle football without a helmet," he exclaimed.

Within hours of the Troubleshooters getting involved we received an email from the company, which promised, "I can confirm for you that the Longhorns' helmets will be finished on Friday and will be sent via overnight delivery..."

"That's great news. Honestly, thank you very much. That's amazing news the kids are going to be very happy, so thank you very much for that," said Fusco.

The parent company of Schutt Sports is Kranos Corporation based in Illinois. Aside from promising to send the helmets, a spokesperson said the company had no further comment. And from the Troubleshooters, good luck to the Lower Perk Longhorns on an awesome season.