Politics might be the game they play best, but Layton Mayor Steve Curtis and Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan are betting they know at least enough about high school football to predict the winner of Friday's 5A state football championship.

"I'm an avid high school football fan," said Curtis who offered a friendly, but possibly humiliating wager, with Dolan on the outcome of the title game which pits Alta against Layton at 2:30 p.m. at Rice Eccles Stadium. "I'm also a very competitive person. Tom and I have been friends, so I just asked him if he'd like to bet on the game."

No, these public servants aren't breaking any gambling laws, but they might be offending the public in a different way if their respective schools don't come through for the city leaders.
Curtis' challenge was this: If Layton prevails against top- ranked Alta, Dolan would sing the Lancer fight song -- a cappella -- at the next Layton City Council meeting wearing a Lancer jersey. If Alta wins, Curtis would entertain the Sandy City Council with the Hawks' fight song in red and black.

"I'm not a very good singer," Curtis admits. "But then, I don't expect to lose."

Asked if he knew the Lancer fight song, he said, "Well, I know the tune, but not the words. But then, Tom's the one who's got to sing it."

Dolan is equally confident in the Hawks.

"I haven't got a clue," he said when asked if he knew the words to the Alta fight song. Like Curtis, he said that won't matter once the Hawks take the field.

"I'm expecting to win," he said.

Dolan is a veteran at these friendly political wagers. He had a similar bet with Taylorsville Mayor Russ Wall last spring on the state baseball championship, which Jordan won. He said the Sandy City Council invites each team that wins a championship to a meeting where a resolution honoring them is read. That, he said, might be the perfect time for a musical number.

"It's fun for us," Dolan said. "It's fun if we win; it's fun if we lose. It's not as much fun for the players. We just agreed to make fools of ourselves to have a little fun ... I'm used to winning though."

Curtis said it's just one more way city officials can support their prep teams.

"I love the game," he said. "I love sports. It's a way of connecting with the community."

Curtis informed Layton head coach Jim Batchelor of his wager, while Dolan said Alta coach Les Hamilton wasn't aware of what was riding on the game -- beside Hawk pride, of course.

"No, I didn't tell anyone," Dolan said. "They don't need any added pressure."