Ex-Hanover Youth Football Coach Accused Of Hacking League Website

HANOVER (CBS) -- The Hanover Youth Football program is in full swing this season, but it almost didn't happen.

And league officials say it was because of one man, Jim Wardwell, a former coach.

"We believe he hacked into the league's website, and deleted every players name, before the weigh-in," says a current coach who doesn't want to be identified.

League officials say last year, Wardwell was coaching the 7th and 8th grade team, but nearly got into a fight with the coach of the 5th and 6th grade team. Referees at the game had to step in and stop it. Both men were suspended from coaching for a year and people in town thought that was the end of it, until this past September.

The night before the all-important weigh-in for the teams, someone deleted every kid's name from the website. Police allegedly traced the cyber-attack back to Wardwell's home computer.

But Wardwell is a popular figure in Hanover and the issue has split the town.

"Teams are built on relationships," says Town Manager Troy Clarkson, "and the town needs to heal and get back on track."

No charges have been filed yet against Wardwell, who was unavailable Friday for an interview.