Dixon mayor loses bet with Rockford over high school 2025 Stateline Quiz Bowl tournament finale

DIXON – When Dixon Mayor Glen Hughes walked into Monday’s City Council meeting wearing a city of Rockford hat, Hughes felt the need to explain.

“I lost a bet, but I lost a bet for a good reason,” he said.

On May 21, Dixon High School’s Scholastic Bowl team faced off against Keith Country Day School’s team in Rockford in the finale of the 2025 Bergstrom Stateline Quiz Bowl hosted by WTVO and FOX 39. The special televised tournament started with 28 local schools in the region that competed in the academic trivia-style games until the best two teams went head to head in the finale.

During the live broadcast, Hughes challenged Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara to a bet.

Hughes said he thought “it was a nice way to get the kids some recognition, not just on the local level, but a little municipal rivalry as well as the high schools.”

The mayor whose school lost would personally donate $100 to the winning school’s extracurricular activities. They also would have to wear apparel from the winning school at the city’s next council meeting, and the information needed to go out on the city’s social media.

It was a close match, but Keith Country Day beat Dixon, and Hughes followed through with the bet’s terms.

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a Keith Country Day hat or shirt, but Mayor McNamara was very happy to provide me with a city of Rockford hat,” Hughes said.

Still, “it was a heck of a deal for both Keith Country Day and Dixon High School to make the finals,” Hughes said, adding that it’s the first time Dixon has made the finals.

The Dixon team is led by coach Tom Padilla, and the high school students who participated in the match were Nathan Stauter, Ronan Quick, James Cocar, Sebastian Seibel, Brady Rosinski, Jeremiah Frye and Owen Winters.