Craig Fox ’68
Career Record: 23-2, District Champ, Regional Champ, State Champ
1968 – 133 lbs.: District Champ, Regional Champ, State Champ (18-2)
1967 – 127 lbs.: Injured (5-1)
Craig Fox put together one of the great one-year-wonder seasons, coming back from an injury riddled junior season to win a state championship as a senior. Fox broke into the lineup as a junior, and started his season 5-0 before falling in the Easton Invitational finals to Scott (Upper Darby), 12-3. Fox suffered a dislocated elbow in the match, and while he battled until the end, it prematurely ended his junior season before the calendar turned to 1967.
Fox came back as a senior fully healthy and a force in Easton’s lineup. He fell to state champ Dan Howard (Dieruff) early in the season, but built momentum by ripping through the Reilly Invitational, including a shut-out win over Howard in the semis. He beat New Jersey state champ Jack Thompson (Phillipsburg) 4-3 in a highlight bout against the Stateliners, though Easton fell 21-17. His only blemish came via injury default the following week against William Allen. Easton held Fox out of the rest of the regular season after the injury scare, but had him ready to go for the individual postseason. Fox outscored his opponents 38-9 at the D11 tournament, including a 10-0 thrashing in the finals. At Regionals, Fox used his patented cradle to pin Terry Bener (West Snyder) in teh second period then turn Roy Grimes (Wilkes Barre GAR) in a win to clinch a state berth. Fox cruised past Steve Thompson (Manheim Central) in the state semifinal to earn Easton’s first state final berth in five years. In his state final, Fox took on Ed Wright (Oil City) and blew the match open early with a takedown and cradle in the first period to take a 5-0 lead. He put Wright on his back again in a cradle in the second to virtually ice the bout at 8-0. Fox clearly suffered a shoulder injury during a Wright reversal at the end of the period, and was content to stay safe on bottom in the third as he was hit for stalling twice but comfortably took home the state title by an 8-4 final score.
History of Easton Wrestling 