ST. LOUIS • No one had more fun during last month's World Series than Missouri's elected officials, who picked up a bounty of goods from their Texas counterparts by betting on the Cardinals to win baseball's top prize.

But now that the leaves have turned, where are the state's politicians to go to get their fix on friendly bets?

Look no further than the Edward Jones Dome, where the feckless Rams risk being upstaged by this weekend's high school football championships.

Saturday's featured match-up, the Class 5 championship, pits the Kirkwood Pioneers against the Falcons of Staley High in Kansas City.

The cross-state showdown has inspired a wager between State Reps. Rick Stream, a Kirkwood high grad who now represents the area in Jefferson City, and Ryan Silvey, whose Kansas City district includes Staley.

In addition to bragging rights on the House Budget Committee — Silvey is head of the influential committee, Stream is vice-chair —the lawmaker from the losing school has agreed to wear a jersey from the winning school at the next GOP caucus meeting.

When the Legislature resumes session next year, the loser also has to wear a tie with the colors of the winning school.

For Kirkwood, there is more at stake Saturday than whether Stream has to don green-and-black neckwear in the Capitol next year.

Not only have the Pioneers never won a state championship, but, on Thursday, their junior varsity squad got the stuffing knocked out of them in a 40-14 loss to arch rival Webster Groves in the annual Turkey Day Game.