Best in the Southwest
2025-02-21 – 2025-02-22 · Yuma, AZ · 📍 100-200 Blocks Madison Ave · State championship
Reps: MICHAEL SANTIAGO, RHONDA SANTIAGO · Prize money: $9,100.00
Grand Champion: Stevo's BBQ Team (698.2172) · 29 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ
Entries
Top score
Winning margin
Field average
Tightest race
Top-10 cutoff
Field spread
Prize money
Double threats
How hot was the win?
Traveled in
Came back for more
Form held
Field strength
Storylines
🔥 A day of perfect scores
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 7–8: B' MACKIN BBQ and LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ and STEVO'S BBQ TEAM tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: STEVO'S BBQ TEAM and Small Axe BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Meat Candy Q (won 2024).
🏟️ A stacked field
The field averaged a 1613 power rating going in — stronger than 95% of every contest tracked.
🃏 An upset on the books
STEVO'S BBQ TEAM came in rated below the field's top team, GETTIN' BASTED, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 15-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-23 | Yuma, AZ | 100-200 Blocks Madison Ave | 25 | 702.2400 | Meat Candy Q | BIG POPPA SMOKERS |
| 2025-02-21 ← this one | Yuma, AZ | 100-200 Blocks Madison Ave | 29 | 698.2172 | Stevo's BBQ Team | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 179.4400 | 175.4172 | 174.2628 |
| Pork Ribs | 180.0000 | 171.9772 | 170.8460 |
| Pork | 180.0000 | 173.1200 | 171.4172 |
| Brisket | 180.0000 | 174.2860 | 171.9656 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
29 entries · top 698.2172 · median 679.3028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 2 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 3 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 4 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 5 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 6 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 7 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 8 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 9 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 10 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 11 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 12 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 13 | BURNIN AND LOOTIN | |
| 14 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 15 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 16 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 17 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 18 | Justice BBQ | |
| 19 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 20 | West Coast BBQ Shop | |
| 21 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 22 | HIGH DESERT HOLY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 23 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 24 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 25 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 26 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 27 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 28 | RUSTY JUNK BBQ | |
| 29 | WILD WILLY'S SMOKIN HOT BBQ |
Chicken
29 entries · top 179.4400 · median 170.8344
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 2 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 3 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 4 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 5 | West Coast BBQ Shop | |
| 6 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 7 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 8 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 9 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 10 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 11 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 12 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 13 | BURNIN AND LOOTIN | |
| 14 | Justice BBQ | |
| 15 | HIGH DESERT HOLY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 16 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 17 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 18 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 19 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 20 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 21 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 22 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 23 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 24 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 25 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 26 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 27 | RUSTY JUNK BBQ | |
| 28 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 29 | WILD WILLY'S SMOKIN HOT BBQ |
Pork Ribs
29 entries · top 180.0000 · median 170.2628 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 2 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 3 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 4 | BURNIN AND LOOTIN | |
| 5 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 6 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 7 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 8 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 9 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 10 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 11 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 13 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 14 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 15 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 16 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 18 | West Coast BBQ Shop | |
| 19 | WILD WILLY'S SMOKIN HOT BBQ | |
| 20 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 21 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 22 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 23 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 24 | HIGH DESERT HOLY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 25 | Justice BBQ | |
| 26 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 27 | RUSTY JUNK BBQ | |
| 28 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 29 | Can Do BBQ |
Pork
29 entries · top 180.0000 · median 169.6800 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 2 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 3 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 4 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 5 | Justice BBQ | |
| 6 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 7 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 8 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 9 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 10 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 11 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 12 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 13 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 14 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 15 | West Coast BBQ Shop | |
| 16 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 17 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 18 | BURNIN AND LOOTIN | |
| 19 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 20 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 21 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 22 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 23 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 24 | HIGH DESERT HOLY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 25 | WILD WILLY'S SMOKIN HOT BBQ | |
| 26 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 27 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 28 | RUSTY JUNK BBQ | |
| 29 | Ribbin-1-Out |
Brisket
29 entries · top 180.0000 · median 169.6684 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 2 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 4 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 5 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 6 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 7 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 8 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 9 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 10 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 11 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 12 | HIGH DESERT HOLY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 13 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 14 | Justice BBQ | |
| 15 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 16 | RUSTY JUNK BBQ | |
| 17 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 18 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 19 | BURNIN AND LOOTIN | |
| 20 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 21 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 22 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 23 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 24 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 25 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 26 | West Coast BBQ Shop | |
| 27 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 28 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 29 | WILD WILLY'S SMOKIN HOT BBQ |
Ancillary categories
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
Ancillary — Dessert
7 entries · top 176.5600 · median 174.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 2 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 3 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 4 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 5 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 6 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 7 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP |