Jamarr Billman ’97
Career Record: 143-17,3x D11 Champ,2x NE Regional Champ,4x State Medalist,2x State Champ
Tournament Championships: Reno Champ, 2x Manheim Champ
College; Penn State/Lock Haven (3x All American)
1997 – 140 lbs.: District Champ, Regional Champ, State Champ (42-0)
1996 – 130 lbs.: District Champ, Regional Champ, State Champ (38-2)
1995 – 112 lbs.: District Champ, Regional Runner-Up, State Third (34-4)
1994 – 103 lbs.: District Runner-Up, Regional Runner-Up, State Fourth (29-11)
Jamarr Billman anchored two of the greatest teams in Easton history, winning back-to-back state titles while leading the Rovers to a pair of team championships and the #1 ranking in the country in 1996.
As a freshman, Billman burst into the lineup at 112 pounds, with three bonus point wins at Elite Duals to open the season, including a 10-1 major over Beat the Streets chairman Jamie Brodsky. His 4-0 start was spoiled in the December dual with Nazareth, where Billman was pinned in the first chapter of his rivalry with future Nazareth state champion Andy Cote. Billman took fourth at Manheim, which kicked him into an undefeated January that included a win over future state champ Denny Liberto (Northampton), 8-6 in overtime. He dropped his first P’burg match to New Jersey state champ Peter Poretta, 18-9. In the D11 Duals, he got a second crack at Cote, and this time beat the Nazareth star 9-6. But Liberto’s second chance at Billman that afternoon resulted in an 8-7 rideout victory for the Northampton star. Billman cut to 103 for the postseason, where he teched his first two opponents, then knocked off 2A state finalist Gary Olivi (Bethlehem catholic) in overtime to set up a third match with Liberto. Once agan, the Konkrete Kid came out on top with a 5-4 win in rideout. The following week, Billman again made the finals, getting to the Regional title match by beating Olivi in semis to face-off against Liberto. This time, Liberto stretched the final margin to 5-2 to deny Billman a championship for the second straight week. In his first state tournament appearance, Billman opened by a 7-5 overtime loss to Bob Banks (Kiski Area), who ended up advancing all the way to state finals. On the back side, BIllman beat future state champ Mike Khan (Harrisburg) in his first consolation match, as part of a four match run all the way to the bronze medal match, where he would see Liberto for the fourth time that season, and lose by a 6-5 decision to take fourth in his freshman year.
As a sophomore, Billman came out firing with a tech of Ohio state finalist Frank Favaro (Walsh Jesuit) and a 10-6 win over New York state champ Jason DeBruin (Spencerport) at Elite Duals to open the season. In Easton’s first trip to Walsh Ironman, Billman was one of three finalists, beating Oklahoma state champ Nate Flowers (MidWest City) in teh semis before losing to another Oklahoma champ, Chris Terrill (Choctaw) in finals. He won his first Manheim title to close teh calendar year, beating Bob Patnesky (Canon McMillan, 8-6 after losing twice to Patnesky as a freshman. Billman took a 2-1 series lead over Cote in January when he won 10-5 in their dual match, then beat Patnesky for a second time, 3-2 in this round, at Reilly Duals. In the D11 Duals, Liberto beat Billman for the fifth time, once again in overtime by a 6-5 score in rideouts. Easton won the dual, and Billman pinned Steve Rohn in the D11 Dual finals as the Rovers beat Nazareth and won D11 Duals for the first time. In the D11 tournament, Billman bonused his way to semis, where he beat Jon Conte (Pocono Mountain) 14-7, then in the third installment of his rivalry with Cote, beat him 6-1 to claim his first D11 title. The following week at Regionals, Cote would get his revenge, upending Billman 7-5 in finals to deny Billman a regional title. At the state tournament, Billman won his first two matches to meet two-time finalist and 1996 state champ Chuckie Connor (Pennsbury) in the semifinals, where Billman dropped a 7-3 decision. He got a fourth match with Cote on the backside, winning 5-3 to advance to the third place match where he beat Tim Ortman (Council Rock), his second state tournament win over Ortman in two years.
Billman opened his junior season in a big way, knocking off two-time Ohio state champion and Fargo Junior freestyle champ Sonny Marchette (Walsh Jesuit), 1-0, as Easton lost on criteria to the #1 ranked Warriors. Marchette would turn the tables in the Ironman finals two weeks later with a 7-4 win over Billman. Billman was teh runner-up at Manheim, hammering state bronze medalist Ed Hockenberry (Bald Eagle Area), 18-12 in semis before falling to state champ Terry Jeffries (Erie Cathedral Prep), 10-5 in the finals. That set up a trip to Reno, Nevada for the inaugural Reno Tournament of Champions in early January, which would be the deepest tournament field in the country. Easton won the tournament, in one of the great triumphs in program history, and they were led by Billman, who blitzed the field with two techs, a pin, and a major to get to the final where he was Easton’s only champ, with a 7-5 win over two-time Oklahoma state champion David Marsh (Choctaw). Billman went undefeated through the rest of the dual season, including a huge day at D11 Duals that featured a first period fall of future state champ Derek Jenkins (Parkland) and a 5-3 win over Andy Cote to firmly take control of their rivalry. Billman dropped to 130 for the postseason, as did Cote to ensure a second year of a postseason series between the two. If there was any doubt that Billman had separated from Cote, it was erased at the D11 tournament where after bonus pointing his way to finals, Billman hammered Cote 16-4 on his way to Outstanding Wrestlers honors as Easton crowned a record seven D11 champs in the first seven weight classes. The following week at Regionals, Billman won his elusive first regional title by tech’ing Jenkins and beating Cote 10-4. At the state tournament, BIllman opened with a second period tech of John Pagnotta (Methacton) and a 13-6 win over LanceHarpster (State College) to make his second straight semifinal. In the Saturday morning session, he handled Aaron Watters (Erie Cathedral Prep) with three takedowns in a 6-3 win. That set up a third straight match-up with Cote, this time for all the marbles. Once again, Billman was dominant, taking Cote down five times in an 11-4 win to capture a state title and his eighth win over Cote in ten tries, and fourth of the season. Billman was the fifth Easton underclassman to win a title, joining Chico Lutes, Rocky Creazzo, Bobby Weaver, and Jack Cuvo.
As a senior, Billman was the preseason top ranked wrestler in America at 140 pounds and more than lived up to the billing. He opened the season by winning Ironman, pinning future MMA champion Gray Maynard (St. Edward, OH) in semis and winning a rubber-match with Sonny Marchette (Walsh Jesuit) in a 6-5 win in Marchette’s home gym. He set the takedown record at Manheim with 29 in four matches, pucntuated by a 16-8 win over Marc Hoffer (Manheim Central) in finals. At Reno, Billman tech’d National Prep champ Brad Denker (Blair Academy) in semis, then took control of his series with Marchette with a 7-5 win to capture his second Reno crown. He pinned Maynard for a second time as Easton beat St. Edward for the first time in program history with a 33-25 win in Kirby Fieldhouse for Elite Duals. Billman won his third D11 title by pinning his way to finals and beating Mike Sommer (NOrthampton) 11-5 for the crown. At regionals, Billman pinned his way through the tournament, with no match going into the second period. While Billman was a heavy favorite headed into the state tournament, Easton and Nazareth were expected to be nip-and-tuck for the team title after Nazareth won the D11 tournament and Easton won Northeast Regionals. Billman emphatically did his part, with pins in his first two matches and a major in semifinals. Going into his final, Easton trailed by a half a point with both Billman and Nazareth’s Rob Rohn left to wrestle and favored to win state titles. Billman squared off against Dan Wilson (Solanco) and immediately pulled him down into a front headlock. Billman hit a cement mixer, and when Wilson rolled through, Billman hit a second one and put Wilson on his back, pinning him in a state finals record 0:23 seconds to win his second state title and put the Rovers up 5.5 points ahead of Rohn’s bout. When Rohn won 9-4, it clinched Easton’s second straight team state championship by a minuscule 1.5 points. After states, Billman won the Dapper Dan by knocking off future All American John Mark Bentley (Avery County, NC).
Billman went on to Penn State, where he was an All American as a true freshman. During his sophomore season, Billman was 21-0 and ranked #1 in the country when he was academically ineligible in January and missed the rest of the season. Billman transferred to Lock Haven where he earned All American status two more times, with a pair of 5th place finishes. Following his competitive career, Billman coached as an assistant at Cornell, Easton, and Wilson before taking over the head coaching job at Easton from 2017-2020.
History of Easton Wrestling 