Clash of Dynasties

In the premiere episode, the bitter rivalry between St. Edward and Walsh Jesuit begins to unfold. The episode showcases St. Ed’s rise from its early wrestling struggles to a decade of dominance during the 1980s under legendary Coach Howard Ferguson. Meanwhile, 40 minutes away, Walsh Jesuit’s Coach, Bill Barger begins building a fierce team of his own with one goal in mind- take down St. Eds! As St. Edward struggles to rebuild after a tragic loss, the stage is set for an epic showdown between these two dynasties.

In Episode 2, the heated rivalry between the St. Edward Eagles and Walsh Warriors intensifies. Adding more star power to their lineup, the Eagles make a triumphant comeback, bolstered by returning coaches and a season dedicated to a late teammate. However, the Warriors step up to the challenge by adding more coaches of their own and a new crop of North Akron wrestlers, putting St. Ed’s 15-year streak of dual meet wins on the line. Another state and national title are up for grabs, though controversy and tragedy strike both teams unexpectedly.

Episode 3 of "Clash of Dynasties: St. Edward vs Walsh Jesuit” features one of the wildest and closest dual meets of the entire rivalry which was held at Walsh for the first time and broadcast by ESPN. The 1994 State Tournament would also end up coming down to the wire. Despite personal losses in 1995, Walsh Jesuit would cement their legacy in Ohio history, setting multiple state records along the way. That season would also include the creation of the famous Ironman Tournament, the first national wrestling mega-tournament of its kind, held at Walsh and still going to this day.

In the final episode, the Walsh dynasty starts to show signs of fatigue just as St. Edward is starting to reload with young, talented wrestlers. The 1996 season kicked off with the most dramatic dual meet ever and again, the epic battle for the state and national title would be another nail-biter. After some shocking news to both Walsh Jesuit and Coach Barger in 1997, the rivalry would never be the same and with a new contender on the scene both teams would struggle to assert their dominance. As the decade would come to a close, the rivalry would begin to cool and only one team would end up on top.