Decided by a tiebreaker
Tie
identical totals at the top
The top two teams finished on identical totals — the Grand Championship came down to the KCBS tiebreaker rules.
Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2)
2026-05-16 – 2026-05-17 · Morgantown, PA · 📍 6180 Morgantown Rd · State championship
Reps: REGINA BODNAR, ROBERT MCKEE · Prize money: $8,700.00
Grand Champion: The Fat is Where It's At (703.9428) · 17 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 B'S QUE
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
650.16
median 680.50
703.94 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Master Series — Chicken 180.00 🔥
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 175.43
- Master Series — Pork 180.00 🔥
- Master Series — Brisket 178.86
- Backyard Series — Chicken 180.00 🔥
- Backyard Series — Pork Ribs 173.13
155.35
180.00
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2017 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
19
6 judged meats
Top score
703.9428
Winning margin
Tie
identical totals — KCBS tiebreaker
Field average
680.57
650.16703.94
median 680.50 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
3 🔥
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
1.1544 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
678.1716
650.16703.94
10th place overall
Field spread
53.7820
winner to last place
Prize money
$8,700.00
on the line
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 18%
beats 82% of 4707 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
77%
36 of 47 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.66 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1593
avg power rating going in · stronger than 73% of contests
Storylines (8 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
A new contest record
703.9428
highest overall ever cooked here
703.9428 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 702.2516 The Fat is Where It's At set in 2024.
- old record 702.2516
- set 2024 by The Fat is Where It's At
A day of perfect scores
3
perfect 180s
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- Leaning Jowler BBQ · Chicken
- Piggy & Swine BBQ · Chicken
- The Fat is Where It's At · Pork
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 12 tracked editions
Chunky BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 12 tracked editions.
- 2024
- 2025
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 20 calls decided inside half a point
Master Series — Chicken places 2–3: B'S QUE and HotMess BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 6–7: BIG BOB'S SMOKIN QUE and Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork Ribs places 6–7: PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ and UP IN SMOKERS tied on 170.2744 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Master Series — Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Master Series — Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 6–7 · tie
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 9–10 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
The Fat is Where It's At took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 8th.
- Chicken 8th
- Pork Ribs 4th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 2nd
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: The Fat is Where It's At (won 2024), HotMess BBQ (won 2026).
- The Fat is Where It's At · 2024
- HotMess BBQ · 2026
They keep coming back
77%
of last edition’s field returned
36 of 47 teams from 2026-05-15 came back
36 of the 47 teams that cooked the previous edition came back for this one — a contest people put on the calendar.
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)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-05-19 | Morgantown, PA | Friendship Park North St | 53 | 690.8232 | DANTE'S INFERNO | PORKS & REC |
| 2018-05-18 | Morgantown, PA | 3287 North Street | 47 | 689.1428 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY | MOON RIVER BARBEQUE |
| 2019-05-17 | Morgantown, PA | 3287 North Street | 44 | 693.7260 | Drilling and Grilling | PRIORVILLE BBQ |
| 2021-05-14 | Morgantown, PA | 3287 North Street | 46 | 688.5716 | Pig's Pajamas BBQ | Rogue Hog BBQ |
| 2022-05-13 | Morgantown, PA | 3287 North Street | 39 | 697.0512 | Uncle Pigs BBQ Pit | THE PIG'S PAJAMAS |
| 2023-05-19 | Morgantown, PA | 6180 Morgantown Rd | 37 | 699.9772 | Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | The Fat is Where It's At |
| 2024-05-17 | Morgantown, PA | 6180 Morgantown Rd | 37 | 692.5028 | Chunky BBQ | BOGGS HOG BBQ |
| 2024-05-18 | Morgantown, PA | 6180 Morgantown Rd | 26 | 702.2516 | The Fat is Where It's At | CHUNKY BBQ |
| 2025-05-16 | Morgantown, PA | 6180 Morgantown Rd | 28 | 701.0972 | Pig Candy Barbeque Co. | BEER TIME BBQ |
| 2025-05-17 | Morgantown, PA | 6180 Morgantown Rd | 21 | 695.9316 | Chunky BBQ | House of Que |
| 2026-05-15 | Morgantown, PA | 6180 Morgantown Rd | 25 | 693.0628 | HotMess BBQ | BEER TIME BBQ |
| 2026-05-16 ← this one | Morgantown, PA | 6180 Morgantown Rd | 17 | 703.9428 | The Fat is Where It's At | B'S QUE |
| 2027-05-14 | Morgantown, PA | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2027-05-15 | Morgantown, PA | — | — | — | — | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 180.0000 | 176.5600 | 173.1200 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 175.4288 | 171.9656 | 169.1316 |
| Master Series — Pork | 180.0000 | 174.2628 | 170.8228 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 178.8572 | 174.2628 | 169.6800 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 180.0000 | 174.2744 | 170.2744 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 173.1316 | 171.9772 | 167.4060 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
17 entries · top 703.9428 · median 680.5028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 2 | B'S QUE | |
| 3 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 4 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 5 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 6 | Ain't That Rich | |
| 7 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 8 | Smokestack Redemption | |
| 9 | Piggy & Swine BBQ | |
| 10 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 11 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 12 | BIG BOB'S SMOKIN QUE | |
| 13 | Team BS BBQ | |
| 14 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 15 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 16 | 4 BOXERS Q | |
| 17 | PJ's Magic Smoke |
Chicken
17 entries · top 180.0000 · median 173.1316 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piggy & Swine BBQ | |
| 2 | B'S QUE | |
| 3 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 4 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 5 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 6 | BIG BOB'S SMOKIN QUE | |
| 7 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 8 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 9 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 10 | Ain't That Rich | |
| 11 | Smokestack Redemption | |
| 12 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 13 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 14 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 15 | 4 BOXERS Q | |
| 16 | Team BS BBQ | |
| 17 | PJ's Magic Smoke |
Pork Ribs
17 entries · top 175.4288 · median 169.1316
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG BOB'S SMOKIN QUE | |
| 2 | B'S QUE | |
| 3 | Ain't That Rich | |
| 4 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 5 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 6 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 7 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 8 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 9 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 10 | Team BS BBQ | |
| 11 | PJ's Magic Smoke | |
| 12 | Smokestack Redemption | |
| 13 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 14 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 15 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 16 | 4 BOXERS Q | |
| 17 | Piggy & Swine BBQ |
Pork
17 entries · top 180.0000 · median 170.8344 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 2 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 3 | Smokestack Redemption | |
| 4 | B'S QUE | |
| 5 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 6 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 7 | Team BS BBQ | |
| 8 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 9 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 10 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 11 | Piggy & Swine BBQ | |
| 12 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 13 | BIG BOB'S SMOKIN QUE | |
| 14 | Ain't That Rich | |
| 15 | PJ's Magic Smoke | |
| 16 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 17 | 4 BOXERS Q |
Brisket
17 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.7028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 2 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 3 | Piggy & Swine BBQ | |
| 4 | Ain't That Rich | |
| 5 | B'S QUE | |
| 6 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 7 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 8 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 9 | Team BS BBQ | |
| 10 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 11 | 4 BOXERS Q | |
| 12 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 13 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 14 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 15 | Smokestack Redemption | |
| 16 | BIG BOB'S SMOKIN QUE | |
| 17 | PJ's Magic Smoke |
Backyard Series
Overall
19 entries · top 345.1088 · median 335.9432
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stroked Out Cooking Team | |
| 2 | Leaning Jowler BBQ | |
| 3 | Castleton Q | |
| 4 | MRC_Barbecue | |
| 5 | Pinky Out BBQ | |
| 6 | FIRE & SHINE BBQ | |
| 7 | Backwooder BBQ | |
| 8 | Shaky Swine | |
| 9 | All About the Wood | |
| 10 | Capt. Blue BBQ | |
| 11 | Tame the Flame BBQ | |
| 12 | Brewski's BBQ Competition Team | |
| 13 | Clean Smoke BBQ Team | |
| 14 | Gizzard Check BBQ | |
| 15 | Yardogs BBQ | |
| 16 | COAL CRACKER BBQ | |
| 17 | Coulbourn Creek Q | |
| 18 | Santo Smokes | |
| 19 | Estancia |
Chicken
19 entries · top 180.0000 · median 170.2744 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leaning Jowler BBQ | |
| 2 | FIRE & SHINE BBQ | |
| 3 | Capt. Blue BBQ | |
| 4 | Castleton Q | |
| 5 | Backwooder BBQ | |
| 6 | Stroked Out Cooking Team | |
| 7 | Brewski's BBQ Competition Team | |
| 8 | MRC_Barbecue | |
| 9 | Pinky Out BBQ | |
| 10 | Yardogs BBQ | |
| 11 | Shaky Swine | |
| 12 | Clean Smoke BBQ Team | |
| 13 | Gizzard Check BBQ | |
| 14 | All About the Wood | |
| 15 | Tame the Flame BBQ | |
| 16 | COAL CRACKER BBQ | |
| 17 | Santo Smokes | |
| 18 | Coulbourn Creek Q | |
| 19 | Estancia |
Pork Ribs
19 entries · top 173.1316 · median 167.4060
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tame the Flame BBQ | |
| 2 | All About the Wood | |
| 3 | Stroked Out Cooking Team | |
| 4 | MRC_Barbecue | |
| 5 | Shaky Swine | |
| 6 | Pinky Out BBQ | |
| 7 | COAL CRACKER BBQ | |
| 8 | Coulbourn Creek Q | |
| 9 | Estancia | |
| 10 | Backwooder BBQ | |
| 11 | Castleton Q | |
| 12 | Leaning Jowler BBQ | |
| 13 | Santo Smokes | |
| 14 | FIRE & SHINE BBQ | |
| 15 | Gizzard Check BBQ | |
| 16 | Brewski's BBQ Competition Team | |
| 17 | Clean Smoke BBQ Team | |
| 18 | Yardogs BBQ | |
| 19 | Capt. Blue BBQ |