The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival

2025-10-03 – 2025-10-04 · Lyons, GA · State championship

Reps: ALAN ROTHROCK, DOUG REID · Prize money: $15,000.00

Grand Champion: Hickory Barbeque Company (703.9428) · 32 teams

🥇

Pop's Little Helper

349.1772 · Backyard Series — Overall

🥈

Smoke Street BBQ

340.0228 · Backyard Series — Overall

🥉

Backwoods BBQ

313.0400 · Backyard Series — Overall

Entries

6 categories

Top score

349.1772

Winning margin

9.1544

GC over RC

Field average

310.45

median 306.81

Perfect 180s

4 🔥

Tightest race

Pork Ribs

2.2972 pts across the top 5

Field spread

68.0576

winner to last place

Prize money

$15,000.00

on the line

Most consistent

HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY

avg finish 6.75 across 4 meats

Double threats

teams with 2+ top-5 calls

Widest winning margin

Chicken

won by 9.7372 pts — Pop's Little Helper

How hot was the win?

Top 87%

beats 13% of 2715 overall wins in the data

Field strength

1543

avg power rating going in · stronger than 48% of contests

Top-rated in the field

Poppa Pig

rated 1796 pre-contest

Storylines

👑 A dynasty in the making

SMOKE ME SILLY has won this contest 2 times across its 10 tracked editions.

🧳 Out-of-towners took the title

HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY took the Grand Championship home to NC.

🔥 A day of perfect scores

4 perfect 180s were scored at this contest.

🃏 An upset on the books

HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY came in rated below the field's top team, Poppa Pig, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 18-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)

This contest over the years

Date	Where	Teams	High score	Grand Champion
2016-10-07		26	697.6456	THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA
2017-10-13		29	699.3600	SMOKE ME SILLY
2018-10-12		26	703.9772	SMOKE ME SILLY
2019-10-11	Lyons, GA	27	689.6456	Que'n Stew'n & Brew'n
2020-10-09	Lyons, GA	37	703.9428	Who Cares BBQ
2021-10-08	Lyons, GA	26	699.3484	Uncle Kenny's BBQ
2022-10-07	Lyons, GA	30	706.2516	Who Cares BBQ
2023-10-06	Lyons, GA	29	708.5488	YES, DEAR BBQ
2024-10-04	Lyons, GA	—	—	—
2025-10-03 ← this one	Lyons, GA	32	703.9428	Hickory Barbeque Company

Official results on kcbs.us ↗

Backyard Series — Chicken

7 entries · top 174.3200 · median 150.2172

#	Team	Score
1	Pop's Little Helper	174.3200
2	Smoke Street BBQ	164.5828
3	B&B Bar b que	156.5484
4	Backwoods BBQ	150.2172
5	HD BBQ	149.7256
6	Okefenokee Smokies	142.9256
7	Red Stag Tavern	123.9540

Backyard Series — Overall

7 entries · top 349.1772 · median 306.8112

#	Team	Score
1	Pop's Little Helper	349.1772
2	Smoke Street BBQ	340.0228
3	Backwoods BBQ	313.0400
4	B&B Bar b que	306.8112
5	HD BBQ	300.6628
6	Okefenokee Smokies	282.3084
7	Red Stag Tavern	281.1196

Backyard Series — Pork Ribs

7 entries · top 175.4400 · median 157.1656

#	Team	Score
1	Smoke Street BBQ	175.4400
2	Pop's Little Helper	174.8572
3	Backwoods BBQ	162.8228
4	Red Stag Tavern	157.1656
5	HD BBQ	150.9372
6	B&B Bar b que	150.2628
7	Okefenokee Smokies	139.3828

Master Series — Brisket

32 entries · top 180.0000 · median 171.6914 · 🔥 perfect 180

#	Team	Score
1	COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ	180.0000 🔥
2	HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY	180.0000 🔥
3	COOL HAND QUE	177.7028
4	Holy Smokes	176.5600
5	YES, DEAR BBQ	175.4172
6	QMEISTERS	175.4056
7	Kings BBQ Team	174.2744
8	SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS	174.2744
9	ZIPS BBQ	174.2628
10	Poppa Pig	174.2628
11	Peckerwood Country Club	174.2628
12	SMOKE SHOW MAFIA	174.2628
13	MAYA JANE BBQ CO.	173.1200
14	Bull and Boar BBQ	173.1084
15	Quenut BBQ	173.1084
16	Blue Smoke Q	171.9656
17	Going Yard BBQ	171.4172
18	Pop's Smoke on the Hill	171.4172
19	Smoke Central BBQ	167.9656
20	PeachCoast BBQ	166.2400
21	CLAUDE'S Q	165.6800
22	K & E's Little Smokers	164.5372
23	County Line Swine	163.9772
24	Sweat's BBQ	162.8000
25	HPO PIT TEAM	161.6456
26	OFF THE CHAIN	160.5028
27	Sunbelt Grillers	160.5028
28	Flying B BBQ	158.2284
29	OLD HENRY'S BBQ	153.0744
30	B-rads bbq	152.5028
31	Bolden's Best BBQ	148.5028
32	Chops	141.6000

Master Series — Chicken

32 entries · top 180.0000 · median 170.8286 · 🔥 perfect 180

#	Team	Score
1	MAYA JANE BBQ CO.	180.0000 🔥
2	Poppa Pig	178.8572
3	OFF THE CHAIN	177.7144
4	Smoke Central BBQ	177.7144
5	HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY	175.4172
6	Kings BBQ Team	175.4172
7	Going Yard BBQ	175.4056
8	County Line Swine	174.2628
9	CLAUDE'S Q	174.2628
10	COOL HAND QUE	173.1084
11	ZIPS BBQ	173.1084
12	K & E's Little Smokers	171.9772
13	Blue Smoke Q	171.9772
14	Quenut BBQ	171.9656
15	Bull and Boar BBQ	170.8572
16	HPO PIT TEAM	170.8344
17	Peckerwood Country Club	170.8228
18	Flying B BBQ	170.8228
19	PeachCoast BBQ	170.8228
20	QMEISTERS	170.8228
21	B-rads bbq	170.8228
22	YES, DEAR BBQ	170.8228
23	COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ	169.6684
24	Pop's Smoke on the Hill	168.5256
25	SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS	168.5256
26	SMOKE SHOW MAFIA	167.3828
27	Bolden's Best BBQ	166.9144
28	Holy Smokes	166.8228
29	Sunbelt Grillers	165.0972
30	Sweat's BBQ	163.9656
31	OLD HENRY'S BBQ	161.0972
32	Chops	156.5944

Master Series — Overall

32 entries · top 703.9428 · median 687.6056

#	Team	Score
1	HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY	703.9428
2	COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ	701.6456
3	MAYA JANE BBQ CO.	700.5144
4	YES, DEAR BBQ	699.3600
5	Blue Smoke Q	697.0744
6	Kings BBQ Team	695.9200
7	Poppa Pig	695.9084
8	COOL HAND QUE	694.7540
9	QMEISTERS	693.6112
10	Pop's Smoke on the Hill	693.0744
11	Bull and Boar BBQ	693.0740
12	Holy Smokes	692.5028
13	ZIPS BBQ	691.3140
14	PeachCoast BBQ	690.7772
15	Going Yard BBQ	690.2172
16	Smoke Central BBQ	689.6112
17	SMOKE SHOW MAFIA	685.6000
18	SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS	685.0400
19	CLAUDE'S Q	684.4684
20	K & E's Little Smokers	680.4572
21	County Line Swine	679.3256
22	Peckerwood Country Club	678.7200
23	OFF THE CHAIN	677.5772
24	Quenut BBQ	676.4224
25	HPO PIT TEAM	665.5660
26	Flying B BBQ	663.2684
27	Sunbelt Grillers	661.5428
28	B-rads bbq	654.1372
29	Sweat's BBQ	649.4736
30	Bolden's Best BBQ	636.5600
31	OLD HENRY'S BBQ	636.3544
32	Chops	605.5544

Master Series — Pork