It began in 1921 in Berea and will conclude — at least for the foreseeable future — Oct. 19 at Don Shula Stadium on the campus of John Carroll. The JCU-Baldwin Wallace football rivalry plays its swan song this week. One last time, the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl will go to the winner. Then the Blue Streaks football program — following the completion of the 2024 season — will set its sights on the North Coast Athletic Conference, which will be JCU’s new home for sports beginning in 2024-25. There is always the chance the teams meet in a non-conference game or in the NCAA playoffs but for now, this rivalry is coming to an end. A casualty of JCU’s move is the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl trophy. The game Oct. 19 will be the 64th in series history. JCU owns a 34-25-4 advantage. A host of John Carroll defensive players converge on a Baldwin Wallace ball carrier on Sept. 16, 2023 in Berea during the Blue Streaks’ 30-7 victory. (Tim Phillis — For The News-Herald) The JCU-BW football rivalry — like many rivalries — has had its ebbs and flows. One constant has been the intensity and feel for a good ole’ crosstown football feud. More than 100 years ago in 1921, BW won the first game in the series, 19-13. In 1932, there was the first — but not the last — 0-0 tie in the series before a whopping 15,000 at League Park, which also served as the Blue Streaks’ home field. In 1941, the teams tied again, 0-0. From 1933 to 1937, BW won five straight — which was the longest streak in the series until JCU’s most recent streak of 11 straight victories. When JCU returned to the Ohio Athletic Conference for the second time in 1989, the Yellow Jackets greeted their rivals back with a 25-19 victory. In 1994, when JCU, BW and Mount Union were co-OAC champs, the Blue Streaks returned the favor with a 9-0 victory. The only overtime win in the series came in 2007, when linebacker Mike Nettling clinched a 20-17 JCU victory with an interception. There have been countless heroes in the series, but two stand out in recent memory — quarterback and Mentor grad Jake Floriea (who started in three Gold Bowl games and never lost) and running back Michael Canganelli of Mayfield. In 2018, JCU entered the final game of its season 8-1 and ranked No. 8 in the country in D-III. BW was also 8-1 and ranked No. 25. The belief was the winner at 9-1 would earn an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs. What a game and what a performance Canganelli put on for the 3,507 in attendance. His final numbers — 35 carries for 270 yards and three touchdowns — ranks among the all-time great performances in JCU football history. It was a back-and-forth contest. JCU led early, 21-7, and looked like it might run away but BW (behind the passing of QB Jake Hudson, who threw for 350 yards and five TDs) chipped away and led, 35-34, with 6 minutes to play. Moments later, the Blue Streaks led, 42-35, but faced fourth-and-1 from midfield with about three minutes to play. It was an easy decision for JCU Coach Rick Finotti. Give the ball Canganelli, who went 34 yards on the play to secure a 45-35 Gold Bowl victory and an NCAA playoff spot. “Many big plays will made by both teams throughout the course of a game and as a player you want to be the one that can create that spark for your team,” said Canganelli, thinking back to that game. “Being removed from football, these are the games you look back and remember how much fun you had playing in them.” Floriea had that feeling, not once but twice against BW. John Carroll wide receiver Keyshawn Colmon pulls in a dramatic TD catch in the final seconds of the Blue Streaks’ 17-10 win over Baldwin Wallace on Nov. 16, 2019. (Tim Phillis — For The News-Herald) The first was in 2019, a 17-10 win by JCU in Berea. With the game tied at 10-10 with 32 seconds remaining, Floriea flung a 50-50 pass into the end zone on a fourth-down call and receiver Keyshawn Colmon brought it in between two defenders for the game-winning touchdown. Memorable @JCUFootball moment from JCU’s 17-10 win over @BWYJFootball in 2018 … 4th down Hail Mary TD late in the game from @JFloriea2 to Keyshawn Colmon. @jcusports @NHPreps @MentorAthletics @MentorRedline pic.twitter.com/YjfbRh1wRs — Mark Podolski (@mpodo) November 11, 2021 The final Cuyahoga Gold Bowl game in 2021 for Floriea was his final college game ever. He won’t forget it. John Carroll’s Joey Torok celebrates his go-ahead touchdown against Baldwin Wallace on Nov. 13, 2021. (Tim Phillis — The News-Herald) Floriea’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Joey Torok of Kirtland with 45 seconds remaining in the game was the game-winner as the Blue Streaks rallied for a wild 29-28 win that will forever live in JCU football lore. INCREDIBLE rally as @JFloriea2 finds Joey Torok for a TD with 45 secs left and @JCUFootball leads 29-28 pic.twitter.com/UFd0yzMozJ — Mark Podolski (@mpodo) November 13, 2021 The Floriea-to-Torok connection completed a six-play, 82-yard TD drive, and capped a 28-10 fourth-quarter rally in front of 5,119. Floriea said it was “the most special game of my college career.” “We got our butts kicked up and down the field in the first half,” Floriea said about the 2021 game. “Morale was very low and collectively we said we’re not going out like this, let’s go do something special. As a team we did just that in the second half. Everybody contributed.” Who’s the next hero for JCU or BW on Oct. 19 is anyone’s guess. The Cuyahoga Gold Bowl will soon become a relic from the past but the memories of the JCU-BW football rivalry will live on forever. Baldwin Wallace at John Carroll When: 2 p.m., Oct. 19 Where: Don Shula Stadium Records: BW 4-1, 2-1 OAC; JCU 3-2, 3-1 OAC Radio: WJCU-FM 88.7 Notable: Former St. Ignatius football coach Chuck Kyle will serve as the game’s color commentator for the WJCU radio broacast.