FOOTBALL GAME BRINGS OUT FRIENDLY RIVALRIES

Cape Girardeau Mayor Al Spradling III is more than ready to put away the red, Jackson Indians sweatshirt he wore to two City Council meetings immediately following the Jackson-Central high schools football game each of the past two years.

He wore it to the two meetings because Jackson won both games. Now it is time for Jackson Mayor Paul Sander to don an orange Cape Central sweatshirt at his next Jackson Board of Aldermen meeting, Spradling said.

Both meetings will be Monday night.

For the third consecutive year, the mayors of Cape Girardeau and Jackson have a friendly wager on the outcome of Friday's Jackson-Central game. The Jackson Indians face the Central Tigers at Jackson this year. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

After two years of losing the bet, Spradling hopes to put away his Jackson sweatshirt. "I'd better not have to wear it," he said Wednesday.

Sander said the bet has been a "tremendous amount of fun," particularly since he's not had to wear the opposing team's colors.

And it has been something residents of both communities talk about.

The wager only stands for the annual football rivalry between the two schools. It began about three years ago when Cape Girardeau and Jackson began meeting to discuss joint issues that faced the two cities.

"We were trying to get together and cooperate, and we decided that we couldn't cooperate on football," Spradling said. "He won't bet for basketball."

The mayors aren't the only people sporting the spirit of competition during the football game. Both Central's and Jackson's Team Spirit groups, which promote drug-free activities, will supply students with ribbons promoting Drug Free Week.

Since the ribbons will be the same color -- red -- it will be hard to differentiate schools, so the Central ribbons also will have a black tiger-paw print stamped on them.

Team Spirit is encouraging students to wear the ribbons to the game to show their lives are drug free and to enter a drawing. At half time, Team Spirit will give away coupons and gift certificates donated by area businesses to students wearing the ribbons.

Advance tickets for Friday's game are available in Cape Girardeau at Howard's and Bi-State Oil and in Jackson at Semo Sports and Specialties. Prices are $3 for adults and $2 for students.