If you haven't looked at The Scrip program before, here's a great recap from Lisa Gronstal and her crew about the program - you buy gift cards from SA to places you normally frequent and then use the gift cards when you buy gas/groceries/coffee etc...

The benefit of using the scrip program is that it reduces your tuition and helps the school at the same time.  The more you order, the more you save.  We have a 50/50 sharing of rebates where families retain 50% of the rebates which they can put toward their family tuition, direct it to the St. Albert tuition assistance fund, direct it to another family, apply to your local Catholic parish, or bank it for future tuition costs.  We issue scrip rebates three times a year.  The other 50% of earnings goes to the school.  As of August 2015, our accumulated scrip rebates are over $541,000.  At the end of August, we paid out a family rebate which totaled $15,228 over a three month period.   Upgrades to the scrip system including ScripNow, PrestoPay, ReloadNow, and MyScripWallet make the program easier and better for our families.  I encourage you to sign up for these features if you haven't already.  

Call 712-329-9000 to get started - we promise it's easy! 

Thankfully NHL hockey returns next week, NBC Sports on Wednesday night... Here's a great interview with two of the games greatest enforcers of all-time... Click here  NFL & Packer fans might be surprised that ol' Aaron Rodgers wasn't the first to give the Championship Belt sign after a big play.  Nope that was Tie Domi in 1992... (Remember my recent theme: What's old is new again).  In that interview there's also a great piece from Mark Messier in which a lot can be learned about leadership...

"Playoffs? You're talking about PLAYOFFS???" To quote the Dad of UCLA football Coach, Jim Mora, yes Jim we're already talking about playoffs.  Here's the clip: Click here

The Falcons find themselves in a must win game tonight out at Griswold.  From there they'll need to win at least one of their next three.  Don't win tonight and your chances diminish significantly because the schedule gets tougher each and every week to close the season.

The other reason we're talking about playoffs is there is big district match-up tonight that will likely determine who else will join Logan-Magnolia & Audubon in the playoffs: Westwood, Sloan at Maple Valley.  Brent Moore with his incredible website has Maple Valley by 6.  I'll take Sloan by 7...

Back to Griswold... They only average 15 yards a game thru the air BUT they've racked up over 280 yards a game on the ground with their 'cross-buck' rushing attack - as the old timers call it.  Griswold has speed, they always do, so the Falcon defensive ends and outside linebackers are the key to this one.  If they can force everything inside the boys should be fine, but if Griswold can get outside, this could be a high scoring affair...

Starting in 2009 this series got high scoring: In those 6 games the average score has been SA 49 - Griswold 24

The recent 10 years of this series has been 9-1 for St. Albert with the most impressive victory being in 2008 when Griswold was averaging 530 yards a game on the ground and 62 points per game - the Falcons won 36-0 to post their 2nd consecutive shutout in the series.

Here's how I see this one now that I've got a little better feel for the Falcons: The Falcons will score but so will Griswold.  This should be another high scoring game - for a half, as two young defenses continue to find their way.

In the end I'll take the Falcons 44-20.

Feel free to get into Griswold early as they celebrate Homecoming - they always treat us right in Griz...