Pride's on the line for these two mayors

The Geneva Vikings play St. Charles East Saints at Geneva's football field tonight, but for the mayors of the two towns there is more than just winning or losing at stake.

Geneva's Kevin Burns and St. Charles' Don DeWitte have made a little side bet. The loser has to display the rival's school spirit wear at the next city council meeting.

For Burns, the thought of sitting Monday night at a dais displaying a Saints jersey is chilling.

"I bleed blue and white so the thought of wearing orange and black may be a shock to my system," Burns said in a prepared statement.

Burns is a near lifelong resident of Geneva, and graduated from Geneva in 1982 (he was the Corn Boil King his senior year). He has done announcing for some of the school's sports teams. His car bears the license plate "Vikes 82."

DeWitte, 54, graduated from St. Charles High School (now East) when it was in what is now Thompson Middle School (it moved to its present campus in the mid-1970s). He recalled the two schools having a great rivalry when they played in the Little Seven conference back then.

"In an e-mail, (St. Charles Mayor Don) DeWitte called me his 'horn-helmeted friend,'" Burns told the city council Monday night, quipping he found that disturbing. Aldermen teased him about how he might have to wear a Saints T-shirt under his customary suitcoat. And if that happens, the whole world will see, as Geneva broadcasts its city council meetings live on a Web feed from St. Charles/Geneva cable television Channel 10, and repeats the broadcasts twice daily.

DeWitte looks forward to that. "We'll enjoy seeing that East jersey hanging on Kevin's desk next Monday night," he said Thursday.

The game is at 7:30 p.m. at Burgess Field at Geneva High School. Strangely enough, the field is right on the border between the Geneva and St. Charles school districts. Teens in the neighborhood, who may have grown up going to games at Geneva, attend St. Charles East. Last year was the first time in 29 years the teams had faced each other, and Geneva won.

Burns proposed the rematch, DeWitte said. "I think he's feeling a little cocky after last year's win, but I think he's in for a surprise this year with the team East is fielding," DeWitte said.