Sep 12–13, 2025 · Mt. Vernon, IN · 📍 Riverbend Park · State championship
Reps: Debra Gage, William Gage · Prize money: $9,000
JaBs won Grand Champion at the Smoke on the Ohio on September 12, 2025 in Mt. Vernon, IN at Riverbend Park, scoring 709.1428 in a field of 27 teams. SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS took Reserve Grand Champion with 705.0972. Category winners: Chicken — SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS (180.0000); Pork Ribs — JaBs (178.2972); Pork — SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS (180.0000); Brisket — JaBs (180.0000). This is the 8th of 9 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by Mulkey's BBQ; the next was held in 2026.
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.
What it has taken to win here, 2017 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
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 92 times in 100
JaBs came in rated below the field's top team, ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 8-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
This was JaBs's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 3rd tracked contest.
6 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
3 of 9 tracked editions
Scuffletown Smokers has won this contest 3 times across its 9 tracked editions.
Chicken places 1–2: SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS and RUSTY PIG BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 2–3: RUSTY PIG BBQ and ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 1–2: SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS and POOH BEAR BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS won Chicken, Pork — a double.
JaBs took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork at 9th.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Scuffletown Smokers (won 2019, 2023).
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2017 | Mt.Vernon, IN | Water St | 29 | 693.0856 | FARMER'S RETREAT SMOKIN BARBEQUE | GRUMPY GOOSE BBQ |
| Sep 7, 2018 | Mt.Vernon, IN | Water St | 28 | 701.0856 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Sep 13, 2019 | Mt.Vernon, IN | 1 Locust | 28 | 701.1088 | Scuffletown Smokers | ONE2BBQ |
| Sep 10, 2021 | Mt. Vernon, IN | 110 East Water St. | 16 | 702.2400 | Local Yokels | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS |
| Sep 9, 2022 | Mt. Vernon, IN | Riverbend Park | 12 | 716 | Local Yokels | DB BBQ |
| Sep 8, 2023 | Mt. Vernon, IN | Riverbend Park | 25 | 709.6684 | Scuffletown Smokers | DB BBQ |
| Sep 13, 2024 | Mt. Vernon, IN | Riverbend Park | 28 | 703.9428 | Mulkey's BBQ | JaBs BBQ |
| Sep 12, 2025 ← this one | Mt. Vernon, IN | Riverbend Park | 27 | 709.1428 | JaBs | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS |
| Sep 11, 2026 | Mt. Vernon, IN | 1817 Glen Eagles Dr. | 26 | 708 | Scuffletown Smokers | Mulkey's BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 178.8800 | 171.9656 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.2972 | 173.7028 | 169.6684 |
| Pork | 180 | 176.5600 | 171.9656 |
| Brisket | 180 | 170.8344 | 167.3828 |
27 entries · top 709.1428 · median 663.2568
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JaBs | |
| 2 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 3 | POOH BEAR BBQ | |
| 4 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 5 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 6 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 7 | Winks BBQ | |
| 8 | Hogs B Hatin' | |
| 9 | DB BBQ | |
| 10 | Shoulda' Gone Fishin' | |
| 11 | QUE U | |
| 12 | Dr. Smoke | |
| 13 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 14 | Take It Easy BBQ | |
| 15 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 16 | TEMPTATION STATION | |
| 17 | Powells Pig Pile Bbq | |
| 18 | AbiCue | |
| 19 | LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ | |
| 20 | Rubem Right BBQ | |
| 21 | Zilla's BBQ | |
| 22 | Blue Pig Smokin’ Heirs | |
| 23 | Mac Daddys Barbecue | |
| 24 | GPAs PUB | |
| 25 | Global Smokers | |
| 26 | W.Oink.C | |
| 27 | OFF THE BONE BBQ |
27 entries · top 180 · median 167.4172 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 2 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 3 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 4 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 5 | JaBs | |
| 6 | DB BBQ | |
| 7 | Powells Pig Pile Bbq | |
| 8 | Hogs B Hatin' | |
| 9 | QUE U | |
| 10 | POOH BEAR BBQ | |
| 11 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 12 | Shoulda' Gone Fishin' | |
| 13 | Blue Pig Smokin’ Heirs | |
| 14 | Winks BBQ | |
| 15 | Take It Easy BBQ | |
| 16 | TEMPTATION STATION | |
| 17 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 18 | Rubem Right BBQ | |
| 19 | Mac Daddys Barbecue | |
| 20 | LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ | |
| 21 | Global Smokers | |
| 22 | Dr. Smoke | |
| 23 | GPAs PUB | |
| 24 | AbiCue | |
| 25 | Zilla's BBQ | |
| 26 | OFF THE BONE BBQ | |
| 27 | W.Oink.C |
27 entries · top 178.2972 · median 166.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JaBs | |
| 2 | QUE U | |
| 3 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 4 | POOH BEAR BBQ | |
| 5 | Take It Easy BBQ | |
| 6 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 7 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 8 | Winks BBQ | |
| 9 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 10 | DB BBQ | |
| 11 | Shoulda' Gone Fishin' | |
| 12 | Hogs B Hatin' | |
| 13 | TEMPTATION STATION | |
| 14 | Mac Daddys Barbecue | |
| 15 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 16 | Dr. Smoke | |
| 17 | Powells Pig Pile Bbq | |
| 18 | LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ | |
| 19 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 20 | Rubem Right BBQ | |
| 21 | AbiCue | |
| 22 | GPAs PUB | |
| 23 | Blue Pig Smokin’ Heirs | |
| 24 | Zilla's BBQ | |
| 25 | W.Oink.C | |
| 26 | OFF THE BONE BBQ | |
| 27 | Global Smokers |
27 entries · top 180 · median 167.9656 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 2 | POOH BEAR BBQ | |
| 3 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 4 | Winks BBQ | |
| 5 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 6 | TEMPTATION STATION | |
| 7 | DB BBQ | |
| 8 | Hogs B Hatin' | |
| 9 | JaBs | |
| 10 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 11 | LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ | |
| 12 | Take It Easy BBQ | |
| 13 | Shoulda' Gone Fishin' | |
| 14 | Rubem Right BBQ | |
| 15 | AbiCue | |
| 16 | Dr. Smoke | |
| 17 | Zilla's BBQ | |
| 18 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 19 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 20 | GPAs PUB | |
| 21 | OFF THE BONE BBQ | |
| 22 | W.Oink.C | |
| 23 | QUE U | |
| 24 | Mac Daddys Barbecue | |
| 25 | Powells Pig Pile Bbq | |
| 26 | Blue Pig Smokin’ Heirs | |
| 27 | Global Smokers |
27 entries · top 180 · median 163.9656 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JaBs | |
| 2 | POOH BEAR BBQ | |
| 3 | Dr. Smoke | |
| 4 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 5 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 6 | Winks BBQ | |
| 7 | Shoulda' Gone Fishin' | |
| 8 | AbiCue | |
| 9 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 10 | QUE U | |
| 11 | Hogs B Hatin' | |
| 12 | Global Smokers | |
| 13 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 14 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 15 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 16 | DB BBQ | |
| 17 | Powells Pig Pile Bbq | |
| 18 | Rubem Right BBQ | |
| 19 | Zilla's BBQ | |
| 20 | W.Oink.C | |
| 21 | Blue Pig Smokin’ Heirs | |
| 22 | LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ | |
| 23 | Take It Easy BBQ | |
| 24 | TEMPTATION STATION | |
| 25 | Mac Daddys Barbecue | |
| 26 | OFF THE BONE BBQ | |
| 27 | GPAs PUB |