Glen Ellyn, Wheaton mayors make bet on state football championship

If Wheaton or Glen Ellyn residents doubt their respective municipal officials faith in their high school football teams, this should put it to rest.

Wheaton Mayor Mike Gresk and Glen Ellyn Village President Mark Pfefferman have made a friendly wager on Saturday's Class 7A state football championship game between Glenbard West and Wheaton Warrenville South.

The loser will fly the other town's flag - along with the winning school's flag - outside his municipal offices for a week.

"I wanted to see the Glen Ellyn flag flying in Wheaton. This was a good way to get it in there," Pfefferman said with a smile.

The game renews a long and sometimes heated rivalry between the schools that was discontinued after the 2006 season.

"It's a classic, hometown, small-town rivalry," Gresk said. "It's neighboring communities growing up at the same time."

The two schools - which sit about eight miles apart - must travel about 150 miles to Champaign for the game.

Gresk said he had hoped to do something after Glenbard West scored a last-minute touchdown to beat Lake Zurich 21-17 on Saturday. The win followed Wheaton Warrenville South's 34-15 victory over East St. Louis in the afternoon.

When Pfefferman contacted Gresk about the flag wager, the Wheaton mayor jumped on it.

"It's a wonderful concept," Gresk said. "It's good-natured and it symbolizes the spirit of the rivalry we both have."

While Wheaton Warrenville might have the advantage of appearing in its third state championship game in four years - including a state 8A championship in 2006 - Glenbard West enters the game as the only remaining undefeated 7A team at 13-0.

"It's great for the community," Pfefferman said. "We were trying to think of a cost-neutral idea so we could do something that would be visible and fun and easy to do."

But don't let the easygoing talk fool you. Despite acknowledging the bet is all in fun, the two have still engaged in some trash talk.

Pfefferman told Gresk in an e-mail that Glen Ellyn's green-and-white village flag "goes nicely with downtown Wheaton's architecture."

Gresk countered by saying Wheaton's blue-and-white flag will "look mighty good in downtown Glen Ellyn."

Not surprisingly, their game predictions echoed their confidence. Pfefferman said the Hilltoppers will win a defensive struggle, 21-14. Gresk predicted a 28-14 Tigers win.