Bridgeport's John Knight Signs with Glenville State for Football, Wrestling
By Michael Minnich on February 27, 2026
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BRIDGEPORT – Making it to the college ranks in one sport is tough enough.
But Bridgeport’s John Knight has accomplished something doubly difficult, singing with Glenville State for both football and wrestling on Thursday afternoon.
“I tried to set it up with other places, but it wasn’t really on my mind until I started getting in contact with Glenville,” Knight said of his dual-sport decision. “Since that was the only place that I really felt like I should go to, I just decided to sit down with Glenville. I didn’t look forward any more than that.”
Glenville State’s location was also a major plus for Knight.
“Glenville was a fit for me because I had the sense of being out in the middle of nowhere, which I like because I feel like I can get stuff done easier,” Knight said. “I can put more focus on my goals and the things I want to accomplish.”
It’s been a busy year already for Knight.
He was a first-team all-state selection in Class AAA on the football field, racking up 90 tackles, 7.5 for loss, in 12 games as Bridgeport earned the No. 1 seed in the playoffs and advanced to the second round.
“I have no regrets,” Knight said. “I know a lot of people might view last season as a little bit of under the standard of Bridgeport, but I don’t at all. That last game, that last loss was actually my favorite game I’ve ever played in. It was exciting, a back-and-forth game, I really loved it. I got to make a lot of big plays. And, unfortunately, the score didn’t go the way we wanted it to. But that was more of a game that any game we’ve had.”
On the wrestling mat, he just won the 165-pound weight class at the Division I Region I tournament last weekend at Wheeling Park to qualify for the Division I state tournament on March 5-7 at Marshall Health Network Arena in Huntington.
He’ll be targeting a fourth straight year on the podium…and hopefully on the top step.
He placed third as a junior at 157 pounds, posting a record of 30-4, and was fifth at the same weight in his sophomore campaign, amassing a 37-3 record.
He began his state career by placing third at 126 points, finishing 27-3 for the year.
“I think the biggest part of my success has been my little brother, Eli, even though he’s bigger than me,” Knight said. “We have been buddies ever since I was 6 and he was 4. Just going to all of those camps together, all of these practices together, he’s been a big part of the person and the athlete that i am.”
All of those results came in Class AAA; wrestling has switched to two divisions this year.
Of course, he was part of Bridgeport’s Class AAA 2024 state football championship team. The Tribe also made the quarterfinals in 2023 and the semifinals in 2022 when Class AAA was the largest class.
“It feels great knowing that wasn’t my last game. It’ll be a little bit different playing with people that I’ve never played with before, but I really have enjoyed the time that I got and I think it’ll help me out down the line.”
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