Rockstars don’t get out of sold-out arenas as quickly as St. John Vianney wrestler Anthony Knox exited Lacey High School on Friday night.
The three-time state champion was allowed to wrestle after a Mercer County court Judge Friday afternoon overturned a New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association disqualification for Knox’s part in a brawl at Collingswood High School last Saturday.
The order, issued by Mercer County Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Bartels, was announced less than an hour before weigh-ins. It allowed Knox to wrestle in the NJSIAA/IBEW Local 102 Region 7 tournament, where he is a favorite to win a fourth regional championship at 126 pounds.
Knox advanced to the Saturday morning semifinals with a victory by technical fall.
It also allowed Knox to continue his bid to become only the fifth, four-time state champion in New Jersey wrestling history — at least for now. The NJSIAA announced late Friday afternoon it would appeal the decision, filing a proposed order for stay pending appeal in Mercer County.
A Lacey Township police officer follows Anthony Knox of St. John Vianney off the mat after Knox beat Charles Gold of Manchester Township by technical fall, 18-1, in a 126-pound quarterfinal bout, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Lacey, N.J. Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
It appears the NJSIAA is attempting to get an appellate court judge to overturn the lower court ruling and bar Knox from the state championships March 6-8 in Atlantic City.
As far as the wrestling was concerned, St. John Vianney head coach Chris Notte called Knox’s performance “professional.”
Manchester Township senior Charles Gold wrestled gamely, but was no match for the skilled and uber-aggressive Knox, who won by technical fall in 2:31. The final score was 18-1.
As soon as the bout ended, Knox made a dash for a back exit out of the gym followed by a Lacey Township police officer. Three township officers were at matside for the duration of Knox’s bout. He ran down a hallway and out another door into the darkness of the parking lot without any comments.
There was an unmistakable law enforcement presence on campus. In all, there were at least 10 officers and deputies from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office including a canine unit.
Knox, who was returned to the No. 1 seed at 126 pounds, wrestled once on Friday. After receiving a bye through the prequarterfinals, Knox wrestled on center mat in the quarterfinals.
Not long after Knox won his bout, he took to Instagram posting a reel with the caption “Back to the plan.#4xStateChamp.”
Interestingly, the was no reaction from the capacity crowd — for, or against, Knox.
“I was impressed,” St. John Vianney head coach Chris Notte said of the crown reaction to Knox. “There were no boos. It was just about wrestling.”
Knox warmed up briefly behind the scorer’s table. Pacing most of the time. He wore orange Nike wrestling shoes and a shiny black headgear. Normally he wears headgear with a “C” on it for Cornell, where he be starting next fall.
Knox started with a flourish, as he always does. He scored his first takedown 10 seconds into the bout, put Gold to his back and had a 10-1 lead after the first period.
Knox opened the second period with an escape then used a leg vine and Jacob’s hook for a four-point nearfall, which ended the bout.
“He wasn’t nervous at all, he was the same Anthony Knox,” said Notte, who was only permitted to talk about wrestling.
“He had the same killer instinct and sparkle in his eyes. He went out, did the job and went home with good sportsmanship.”
Anthony Knox of St. John Vianney helps Charles Gold of Manchester Township up off the mat after Knox beat him by technical fall, 18-1, in a 126-pound quarterfinal bout, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Lacey, N.J. Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Notte helped Gold to his feet after the bout was stopped.
Three of the wrestlers at 126 pounds did not seem to mind Knox rejoining the bracket.
“I was wishing he would be here,” Gold said between his preliminary and his bout with Knox. “I trained for six months for this one moment to go against him.
“I always look for competition because I want to go against the best,” Gold added.
“I would have had to wrestle him sooner or later,” said Seneca senior Michael Mirassol. “Having him in the bracket obviously makes it more difficult.”
Mirassol said winning the bracket without Knox in it would have been “like winning the wrong way.”
Kingsway’s Ramon Alfonso Arroyo, who was the No. 1 seed until Knox was reinstated said: “Not being No. 1 gives me something to chase.”
Arroyo, now the No. 2 seed, was upset by Toms River East freshman Jayce Cappello in the quarterfinals, 14-8.
Anthony Knox Sr., who was also involved in the brawl, was not seen in the gymnasium. Lacey athletic director Aimee DelVento-Evans had “no comment” when asked if Knox Sr. was banned from the event.
Action resumes Saturday morning with the semifinals and wrestlebacks at 10 a.m. The finals are scheduled tentatively for 2 p.m.
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Joe Zedalis covers Shore Conference football for NJ.com. He can be reached at jzedalis@njadvancemedia.com.