Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
2024-06-14 – 2024-06-15 · Logansport, IN · 📍 1212 Riverside Dr
Reps: EUGENE WICKHAM, SARAH WICKHAM · Prize money: $5,000.00
Grand Champion: Sermer Stout (348.5372) · 28 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 VanHoozen BBQ
Entries
28
2 judged meats
Top score
348.5372
Winning margin
1.1084
GC over RC
Field average
311.71
median 314.53
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
4.0228 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
334.2516
10th place overall
Field spread
177.1428
winner to last place
Prize money
$5,000.00
on the line
Double threats
1
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 62%
beats 38% of 708 Backyard Series wins in the data
Traveled in
14%
of the 28 teams with a home region came from outside IN
Came back for more
62%
13 of 21 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Weak
ρ = -0.12 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1501
avg power rating going in · stronger than 3% of contests
Storylines
🪒 A razor-thin finish
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1084 points — closer than 80% of every championship in the data.
📸 Photo finishes
Pork Ribs places 3–4: RUBY CREEK BBQ edged Hoosier BBQ by 0.0112. Pork Ribs places 8–9: Smoky J's edged Porkasaurus Rex BBQ by 0.0116. Chicken places 5–6: Diddy's Delectable 3BQ edged VanHoozen BBQ by 0.0228.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Get Your Butt Over Here BBQ (won 2022), Berkee Raes BBQ (won 2023).
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-06-17 | Logansport, IN | 1212 Riverside Dr | 14 | 349.1428 | Get Your Butt Over Here BBQ | — |
| 2023-06-16 | Logansport, IN | 1212 Riverside Dr | 21 | 343.9656 | Berkee Raes BBQ | — |
| 2024-06-14 ← this one | Logansport, IN | 1212 Riverside Dr | 28 | 348.5372 | Sermer Stout | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7028 | 172.5944 | 167.4172 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.8572 | 170.8344 | 167.4516 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Backyard Series
Overall
28 entries · top 348.5372 · median 314.5256
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sermerstout BBQ | |
| 2 | VanHoozen BBQ | |
| 3 | Berkee Raes BBQ | |
| 4 | RUBY CREEK BBQ | |
| 5 | Bucked Up BBQ | |
| 6 | Porkasaurus Rex BBQ | |
| 7 | Diddy's Delectable 3BQ | |
| 8 | Hoosier BBQ | |
| 9 | Smoky J's | |
| 10 | Liberty Call Smoke Shack | |
| 11 | Smokey D's Woo Wee BBQ | |
| 12 | Backdraft BBQ | |
| 13 | Get Your Butt Over Here BBQ | |
| 14 | 1320 Q | |
| 15 | Old Gold and BBQ | |
| 16 | Hanner's Butt & Brew | |
| 17 | Holy Smokes | |
| 18 | Taylor Bay | |
| 19 | Tank's BBQ | |
| 20 | Dos 33 | |
| 21 | FLASH'S BBQ | |
| 22 | Smokey Broo's BBQ | |
| 23 | Blazin Jett Barbecue Team | |
| 24 | BesQue | |
| 25 | Zee Company | |
| 26 | Monster Pit BBQ | |
| 27 | Boiler BBQ | |
| 28 | The Neighborhood Tavern |
Chicken
28 entries · top 177.7028 · median 162.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sermerstout BBQ | |
| 2 | Berkee Raes BBQ | |
| 3 | Get Your Butt Over Here BBQ | |
| 4 | Porkasaurus Rex BBQ | |
| 5 | Diddy's Delectable 3BQ | |
| 6 | VanHoozen BBQ | |
| 7 | RUBY CREEK BBQ | |
| 8 | Bucked Up BBQ | |
| 9 | Liberty Call Smoke Shack | |
| 10 | Smoky J's | |
| 11 | Smokey D's Woo Wee BBQ | |
| 12 | Backdraft BBQ | |
| 13 | 1320 Q | |
| 14 | Hoosier BBQ | |
| 15 | Old Gold and BBQ | |
| 16 | Hanner's Butt & Brew | |
| 17 | Tank's BBQ | |
| 18 | FLASH'S BBQ | |
| 19 | Blazin Jett Barbecue Team | |
| 20 | BesQue | |
| 21 | Holy Smokes | |
| 22 | The Neighborhood Tavern | |
| 23 | Dos 33 | |
| 24 | Taylor Bay | |
| 25 | Smokey Broo's BBQ | |
| 26 | Zee Company | |
| 27 | Monster Pit BBQ | |
| 28 | Boiler BBQ |
Pork Ribs
28 entries · top 174.8572 · median 157.9486
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | VanHoozen BBQ | |
| 2 | Bucked Up BBQ | |
| 3 | RUBY CREEK BBQ | |
| 4 | Hoosier BBQ | |
| 5 | Sermerstout BBQ | |
| 6 | Berkee Raes BBQ | |
| 7 | Boiler BBQ | |
| 8 | Smoky J's | |
| 9 | Porkasaurus Rex BBQ | |
| 10 | Diddy's Delectable 3BQ | |
| 11 | Liberty Call Smoke Shack | |
| 12 | Smokey D's Woo Wee BBQ | |
| 13 | Backdraft BBQ | |
| 14 | Holy Smokes | |
| 15 | Taylor Bay | |
| 16 | Hanner's Butt & Brew | |
| 17 | Old Gold and BBQ | |
| 18 | Dos 33 | |
| 19 | Zee Company | |
| 20 | Smokey Broo's BBQ | |
| 21 | Get Your Butt Over Here BBQ | |
| 22 | 1320 Q | |
| 23 | BesQue | |
| 24 | Monster Pit BBQ | |
| 25 | Tank's BBQ | |
| 26 | FLASH'S BBQ | |
| 27 | Blazin Jett Barbecue Team | |
| 28 | The Neighborhood Tavern |