Aug 22–23, 2025 · Paola, KS · 📍 City Square · State championship
Reps: Forrest Bruce, Larry Hadley · Prize money: $4,500
Go Pig or Go Home won Grand Champion at the East Central State BBQ Cookoff on August 22, 2025 in Paola, KS at City Square, scoring 705.0740 in a field of 27 teams. Smoke This Drink That BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 698.7884. Category winners: Chicken — Go Pig or Go Home (180.0000); Pork Ribs — GETTIN' SAUCED (178.8572); Pork — MUNNY'S STOVE (177.7028); Brisket — Smoked & Furious (178.8572).
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 73 times in 100
Go Pig or Go Home came in rated below the field's top team, MAN MEAT BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 27-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Chicken places 7–8: MAN MEAT BBQ and IN DEEP SAUCE tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 4–5: Go Pig or Go Home and LOVE 2 Q tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 7–8: MAN MEAT BBQ and Aww Shucks BBQ tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Go Pig or Go Home took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 12th.
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.7028 | 173.1200 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 176.5600 | 170.8344 |
| Pork | 177.7028 | 174.2628 | 167.9884 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 175.4056 | 173.1200 |
27 entries · top 705.0740 · median 672.4340
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Go Pig or Go Home | |
| 2 | Smoke This Drink That BBQ | |
| 3 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 4 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 5 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 6 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 7 | MUNNY'S STOVE | |
| 8 | Aww Shucks BBQ | |
| 9 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | |
| 10 | Summa Dat Que | |
| 11 | Bushwood BBQ | |
| 12 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 13 | KEEP CALM & SAUCE ON | |
| 14 | PayHeed BBQ | |
| 15 | The Drunken Sailor | |
| 16 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 17 | Taylor Made BBQ | |
| 18 | Smokey and the Brisket | |
| 19 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 20 | Wea Street BBQ | |
| 21 | AM & PM SMOKERS | |
| 22 | Beaux Hogs BBQ | |
| 23 | Gomer & Barney BBQ | |
| 24 | KC FINE SWINES | |
| 25 | Making BBQ Great Again | |
| 26 | Royal Smoke | |
| 27 | J & M BBQ |
27 entries · top 180 · median 171.4056 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Go Pig or Go Home | |
| 2 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 3 | Bushwood BBQ | |
| 4 | Summa Dat Que | |
| 5 | The Drunken Sailor | |
| 6 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | |
| 7 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 8 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 9 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 10 | MUNNY'S STOVE | |
| 11 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 12 | Smoke This Drink That BBQ | |
| 13 | KC FINE SWINES | |
| 14 | AM & PM SMOKERS | |
| 15 | Smokey and the Brisket | |
| 16 | KEEP CALM & SAUCE ON | |
| 17 | PayHeed BBQ | |
| 18 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 19 | Aww Shucks BBQ | |
| 20 | Taylor Made BBQ | |
| 21 | Beaux Hogs BBQ | |
| 22 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 23 | Making BBQ Great Again | |
| 24 | Gomer & Barney BBQ | |
| 25 | Wea Street BBQ | |
| 26 | Royal Smoke | |
| 27 | J & M BBQ |
27 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.9656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 2 | Smoke This Drink That BBQ | |
| 3 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 4 | Go Pig or Go Home | |
| 5 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 6 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | |
| 7 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 8 | Aww Shucks BBQ | |
| 9 | PayHeed BBQ | |
| 10 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 11 | Bushwood BBQ | |
| 12 | Summa Dat Que | |
| 13 | KEEP CALM & SAUCE ON | |
| 14 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 15 | Smokey and the Brisket | |
| 16 | Wea Street BBQ | |
| 17 | MUNNY'S STOVE | |
| 18 | Taylor Made BBQ | |
| 19 | The Drunken Sailor | |
| 20 | AM & PM SMOKERS | |
| 21 | Royal Smoke | |
| 22 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 23 | Gomer & Barney BBQ | |
| 24 | J & M BBQ | |
| 25 | Making BBQ Great Again | |
| 26 | KC FINE SWINES | |
| 27 | Beaux Hogs BBQ |
27 entries · top 177.7028 · median 165.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MUNNY'S STOVE | |
| 2 | Go Pig or Go Home | |
| 3 | Aww Shucks BBQ | |
| 4 | Smoke This Drink That BBQ | |
| 5 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 6 | Summa Dat Que | |
| 7 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 8 | PayHeed BBQ | |
| 9 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 10 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 11 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 12 | Bushwood BBQ | |
| 13 | KEEP CALM & SAUCE ON | |
| 14 | The Drunken Sailor | |
| 15 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | |
| 16 | Beaux Hogs BBQ | |
| 17 | Wea Street BBQ | |
| 18 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 19 | Taylor Made BBQ | |
| 20 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 21 | Royal Smoke | |
| 22 | Smokey and the Brisket | |
| 23 | KC FINE SWINES | |
| 24 | Making BBQ Great Again | |
| 25 | AM & PM SMOKERS | |
| 26 | Gomer & Barney BBQ | |
| 27 | J & M BBQ |
27 entries · top 178.8572 · median 166.2516
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 2 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 3 | MUNNY'S STOVE | |
| 4 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 5 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 6 | Smoke This Drink That BBQ | |
| 7 | Aww Shucks BBQ | |
| 8 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 9 | KEEP CALM & SAUCE ON | |
| 10 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | |
| 11 | Gomer & Barney BBQ | |
| 12 | Go Pig or Go Home | |
| 13 | Wea Street BBQ | |
| 14 | Bushwood BBQ | |
| 15 | Summa Dat Que | |
| 16 | PayHeed BBQ | |
| 17 | Taylor Made BBQ | |
| 18 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 19 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 20 | The Drunken Sailor | |
| 21 | Beaux Hogs BBQ | |
| 22 | Smokey and the Brisket | |
| 23 | Making BBQ Great Again | |
| 24 | AM & PM SMOKERS | |
| 25 | KC FINE SWINES | |
| 26 | Royal Smoke | |
| 27 | J & M BBQ |
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.
10 entries · top 176.5600 · median 171.9886