Mass in May (Day 2)
2026-05-16 – 2026-05-17 · Wrentham, MA · 📍 592 South Street · State championship
Reps: ABIGAIL NICHOLS, JAKE NICHOLS · Prize money: $3,600.00
Grand Champion: Brookside BBQ (698.2628) · 31 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY
Entries
31
4 judged meats
Top score
698.2628
Winning margin
0.0228
GC over RC
Field average
663.88
median 675.89
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
1.7372 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
686.2516
10th place overall
Field spread
244.7432
winner to last place
Prize money
$3,600.00
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 57%
beats 43% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
48%
of the 31 teams with a home region came from outside MA
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.58 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1547
avg power rating going in · stronger than 52% of contests
Storylines
🪒 A razor-thin finish
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.0228 points — closer than 97% of every championship in the data.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 2–3: Meat Monarchy and HUMPHREY'S BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: HUMPHREY'S BBQ and Half-Inked BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: Q Shanty and PADDY MCQ'S tied on 176.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🃏 An upset on the books
Brookside BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 17-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-15 | Wrentham, MA | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2026-05-16 ← this one | Wrentham, MA | 592 South Street | 31 | 698.2628 | Brookside BBQ | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY |
| 2026-05-16 | Wrentham, MA | 592 South Street | 23 | 178.8800 | Paddy McQ's | — |
| 2026-05-16 | Wrentham, MA | 592 South Street | 25 | 178.8800 | Humphrey's BBQ | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 179.4400 | 177.7028 | 172.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 175.4400 | 172.5600 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 173.1200 |
| Brisket | 177.7028 | 174.2856 | 171.4400 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
31 entries · top 698.2628 · median 675.8856
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brookside BBQ | |
| 2 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 3 | Q Shanty | |
| 4 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 5 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 6 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 7 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 8 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 9 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 10 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 11 | Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque | |
| 12 | House of Que | |
| 13 | Half-Inked BBQ | |
| 14 | American Barbecue Company | |
| 15 | Morning Wood BBQ | |
| 16 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 17 | Rough Cut Q | |
| 18 | HOG WASH BBQ | |
| 19 | Pray For Me BBQ | |
| 20 | Angrycock BBQ | |
| 21 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 22 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 23 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 24 | Hot Mess BBQ NH | |
| 25 | Warped BBQ | |
| 26 | Liberty Call BBQ | |
| 27 | Cousins Que | |
| 28 | Cow,Hen,Pig! | |
| 29 | 3 Pigs & A Smoke BBQ | |
| 30 | Oceangrove BBQ | |
| 31 | KEN-Q |
Chicken
31 entries · top 179.4400 · median 167.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque | |
| 2 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 3 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 4 | Half-Inked BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 6 | Q Shanty | |
| 7 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 8 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 9 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 10 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 11 | Brookside BBQ | |
| 12 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 13 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 14 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 15 | Liberty Call BBQ | |
| 16 | American Barbecue Company | |
| 17 | Rough Cut Q | |
| 18 | Angrycock BBQ | |
| 19 | Pray For Me BBQ | |
| 20 | HOG WASH BBQ | |
| 21 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 22 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 23 | Morning Wood BBQ | |
| 24 | Hot Mess BBQ NH | |
| 25 | House of Que | |
| 26 | Cousins Que | |
| 27 | Oceangrove BBQ | |
| 28 | Warped BBQ | |
| 29 | 3 Pigs & A Smoke BBQ | |
| 30 | Cow,Hen,Pig! | |
| 31 | KEN-Q |
Pork Ribs
31 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 2 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 3 | Brookside BBQ | |
| 4 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 5 | Pray For Me BBQ | |
| 6 | House of Que | |
| 7 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 8 | Morning Wood BBQ | |
| 9 | Rough Cut Q | |
| 10 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 11 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 12 | Q Shanty | |
| 13 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 14 | HOG WASH BBQ | |
| 15 | Hot Mess BBQ NH | |
| 16 | Angrycock BBQ | |
| 17 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 18 | Warped BBQ | |
| 19 | Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque | |
| 20 | Cow,Hen,Pig! | |
| 21 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 22 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 23 | Oceangrove BBQ | |
| 24 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 25 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 26 | American Barbecue Company | |
| 27 | Half-Inked BBQ | |
| 28 | Cousins Que | |
| 29 | 3 Pigs & A Smoke BBQ | |
| 30 | Liberty Call BBQ | |
| 31 | KEN-Q |
Pork
31 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5944
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Barbecue Company | |
| 2 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 3 | Q Shanty | |
| 4 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 5 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 7 | House of Que | |
| 8 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 9 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 10 | Half-Inked BBQ | |
| 11 | Liberty Call BBQ | |
| 12 | Brookside BBQ | |
| 13 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 14 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 15 | Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque | |
| 16 | Cousins Que | |
| 17 | Rough Cut Q | |
| 18 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 19 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 20 | Morning Wood BBQ | |
| 21 | Pray For Me BBQ | |
| 22 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 23 | Hot Mess BBQ NH | |
| 24 | Warped BBQ | |
| 25 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 26 | Angrycock BBQ | |
| 27 | HOG WASH BBQ | |
| 28 | Cow,Hen,Pig! | |
| 29 | KEN-Q | |
| 30 | 3 Pigs & A Smoke BBQ | |
| 31 | Oceangrove BBQ |
Brisket
30 entries · top 177.7028 · median 168.5542
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brookside BBQ | |
| 2 | HOG WASH BBQ | |
| 3 | Morning Wood BBQ | |
| 4 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 5 | Q Shanty | |
| 6 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 7 | House of Que | |
| 8 | Half-Inked BBQ | |
| 9 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 10 | American Barbecue Company | |
| 11 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 12 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 13 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 14 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 15 | Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque | |
| 16 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 17 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 18 | Angrycock BBQ | |
| 19 | Warped BBQ | |
| 20 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 21 | Rough Cut Q | |
| 22 | Hot Mess BBQ NH | |
| 23 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 24 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 25 | Pray For Me BBQ | |
| 26 | Cousins Que | |
| 27 | Liberty Call BBQ | |
| 28 | 3 Pigs & A Smoke BBQ | |
| 29 | Oceangrove BBQ | |
| 30 | Cow,Hen,Pig! |