Sep 13–14, 2019 · Decatur, AL · 📍 802-A Wilson St NW · State championship
Reps: Carol Bigler, Janet Appleton, Randy G Bigler, Sam Appleton · Prize money: $12,100
MIDNIGHT BURN won Grand Champion at the RiverFest on September 13, 2019 in Decatur, AL at 802-A Wilson St NW, scoring 690.7996 in a field of 37 teams. SOUTH PORK took Reserve Grand Champion with 690.2284. Category winners: Chicken — SMOKIN BUTT CREW (177.7028); Pork Ribs — SHEATS SMOKED MEATS (178.2972); Pork — BEES KNEES BBQ TEAM (173.7144); Brisket — SOUTH PORK (177.1428). The Backyard Series standings were won by SWEET CHEEKS BBQ with 354.2744.
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.
Closer than 91% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5712 points — closer than 91% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 66 times in 100
MIDNIGHT BURN came in rated below the field's top team, Organizer Portal, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 34-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
MIDNIGHT BURN won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
Master Series — Pork Ribs places 8–9: Serial Grillers and Organizer Portal tied on 171.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork places 2–3: JIGGY PIGGY and CONTAGIOUS Q tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork places 3–4: CONTAGIOUS Q and THE UNIVERSITY OF QUE tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
SWEET CHEEKS BBQ won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double.
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 177.7028 | 173.1200 | 170.8684 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 178.2972 | 174.2744 | 171.4056 |
| Master Series — Pork | 173.7144 | 173.1200 | 169.1428 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 177.1428 | 173.1084 | 169.6684 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 177.7028 | 173.7028 | 169.1544 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 176.5716 | 170.8344 | 169.1316 |
37 entries · top 690.7996 · median 664.4572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MIDNIGHT BURN | |
| 2 | SOUTH PORK | |
| 3 | JIGGY PIGGY | |
| 4 | UNDER THE RADAR | |
| 5 | BEES KNEES BBQ TEAM | |
| 6 | FAT, DRUNK & STUPID | |
| 7 | Organizer Portal | |
| 8 | SMOKIN BUTT CREW | |
| 9 | CONTAGIOUS Q | |
| 10 | Big Blue Que | |
| 11 | SMOKIN CHUCKS WAGON | |
| 12 | THE SPECIALISTS | |
| 13 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 14 | UNCLE FEOL'S TENNESSEE STYLE BBQ | |
| 15 | Smoke Therapy | |
| 16 | SHEATS SMOKED MEATS | |
| 17 | THE UNIVERSITY OF QUE | |
| 18 | JoBeaz Blazin' Butts & Wings | |
| 19 | I-Heart Smokers | |
| 20 | NEW SOUTH BBQ | |
| 21 | The Four Porksmen | |
| 22 | CAMP-BELL BBQ | |
| 23 | HAMMONDVILLE HAWG MAFIA | |
| 24 | Camo Cookers | |
| 25 | Serial Grillers | |
| 26 | TEAM HOGWEISER | |
| 27 | Y-NOT! SMOKIN QUE | |
| 28 | Deep Southeast | |
| 29 | Underhog | |
| 30 | Chez Ham | |
| 31 | Back 40 BBQ | |
| 32 | Tippin; the Scales | |
| 33 | SLACK'S RACKS | |
| 34 | Jack's Butt Rubbers | |
| 35 | The Lumbee Smokers | |
| 36 | Fuqua Southern Food | |
| 37 | Wyld Child Catering |
35 entries · top 177.7028 · median 168.5484
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN BUTT CREW | |
| 2 | FAT, DRUNK & STUPID | |
| 3 | UNCLE FEOL'S TENNESSEE STYLE BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 5 | JIGGY PIGGY | |
| 6 | SMOKIN CHUCKS WAGON | |
| 7 | MIDNIGHT BURN | |
| 8 | BEES KNEES BBQ TEAM | |
| 9 | JoBeaz Blazin' Butts & Wings | |
| 10 | Camo Cookers | |
| 11 | Smoke Therapy | |
| 12 | SOUTH PORK | |
| 13 | SHEATS SMOKED MEATS | |
| 14 | Big Blue Que | |
| 15 | Organizer Portal | |
| 16 | TEAM HOGWEISER | |
| 17 | NEW SOUTH BBQ | |
| 18 | UNDER THE RADAR | |
| 19 | The Four Porksmen | |
| 20 | I-Heart Smokers | |
| 21 | CONTAGIOUS Q | |
| 22 | THE SPECIALISTS | |
| 23 | CAMP-BELL BBQ | |
| 24 | Y-NOT! SMOKIN QUE | |
| 25 | Back 40 BBQ | |
| 26 | Underhog | |
| 27 | THE UNIVERSITY OF QUE | |
| 28 | SLACK'S RACKS | |
| 29 | HAMMONDVILLE HAWG MAFIA | |
| 30 | Tippin; the Scales | |
| 31 | Fuqua Southern Food | |
| 32 | Jack's Butt Rubbers | |
| 33 | Serial Grillers | |
| 34 | Chez Ham | |
| 35 | Deep Southeast |
37 entries · top 178.2972 · median 165.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SHEATS SMOKED MEATS | |
| 2 | Big Blue Que | |
| 3 | UNDER THE RADAR | |
| 4 | MIDNIGHT BURN | |
| 5 | FAT, DRUNK & STUPID | |
| 6 | CONTAGIOUS Q | |
| 7 | JIGGY PIGGY | |
| 8 | Serial Grillers | |
| 9 | Organizer Portal | |
| 10 | UNCLE FEOL'S TENNESSEE STYLE BBQ | |
| 11 | JoBeaz Blazin' Butts & Wings | |
| 12 | SOUTH PORK | |
| 13 | Smoke Therapy | |
| 14 | THE SPECIALISTS | |
| 15 | SMOKIN CHUCKS WAGON | |
| 16 | Deep Southeast | |
| 17 | BEES KNEES BBQ TEAM | |
| 18 | HAMMONDVILLE HAWG MAFIA | |
| 19 | The Lumbee Smokers | |
| 20 | THE UNIVERSITY OF QUE | |
| 21 | NEW SOUTH BBQ | |
| 22 | Underhog | |
| 23 | The Four Porksmen | |
| 24 | SMOKIN BUTT CREW | |
| 25 | TEAM HOGWEISER | |
| 26 | Chez Ham | |
| 27 | I-Heart Smokers | |
| 28 | Y-NOT! SMOKIN QUE | |
| 29 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 30 | Back 40 BBQ | |
| 31 | Camo Cookers | |
| 32 | SLACK'S RACKS | |
| 33 | CAMP-BELL BBQ | |
| 34 | Wyld Child Catering | |
| 35 | Fuqua Southern Food | |
| 36 | Jack's Butt Rubbers | |
| 37 | Tippin; the Scales |
36 entries · top 173.7144 · median 165.3884
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BEES KNEES BBQ TEAM | |
| 2 | JIGGY PIGGY | |
| 3 | CONTAGIOUS Q | |
| 4 | THE UNIVERSITY OF QUE | |
| 5 | Organizer Portal | |
| 6 | THE SPECIALISTS | |
| 7 | Big Blue Que | |
| 8 | SOUTH PORK | |
| 9 | The Lumbee Smokers | |
| 10 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 11 | I-Heart Smokers | |
| 12 | JoBeaz Blazin' Butts & Wings | |
| 13 | Y-NOT! SMOKIN QUE | |
| 14 | MIDNIGHT BURN | |
| 15 | SMOKIN BUTT CREW | |
| 16 | UNDER THE RADAR | |
| 17 | CAMP-BELL BBQ | |
| 18 | Camo Cookers | |
| 19 | SMOKIN CHUCKS WAGON | |
| 20 | SHEATS SMOKED MEATS | |
| 21 | Smoke Therapy | |
| 22 | Serial Grillers | |
| 23 | Tippin; the Scales | |
| 24 | NEW SOUTH BBQ | |
| 25 | Chez Ham | |
| 26 | HAMMONDVILLE HAWG MAFIA | |
| 27 | FAT, DRUNK & STUPID | |
| 28 | Deep Southeast | |
| 29 | UNCLE FEOL'S TENNESSEE STYLE BBQ | |
| 30 | The Four Porksmen | |
| 31 | Underhog | |
| 32 | Back 40 BBQ | |
| 33 | TEAM HOGWEISER | |
| 34 | Jack's Butt Rubbers | |
| 35 | SLACK'S RACKS | |
| 36 | Wyld Child Catering |
37 entries · top 177.1428 · median 165.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SOUTH PORK | |
| 2 | MIDNIGHT BURN | |
| 3 | UNDER THE RADAR | |
| 4 | BEES KNEES BBQ TEAM | |
| 5 | FAT, DRUNK & STUPID | |
| 6 | SMOKIN BUTT CREW | |
| 7 | CAMP-BELL BBQ | |
| 8 | THE UNIVERSITY OF QUE | |
| 9 | SMOKIN CHUCKS WAGON | |
| 10 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 11 | CONTAGIOUS Q | |
| 12 | HAMMONDVILLE HAWG MAFIA | |
| 13 | JIGGY PIGGY | |
| 14 | THE SPECIALISTS | |
| 15 | The Four Porksmen | |
| 16 | Smoke Therapy | |
| 17 | TEAM HOGWEISER | |
| 18 | Organizer Portal | |
| 19 | I-Heart Smokers | |
| 20 | UNCLE FEOL'S TENNESSEE STYLE BBQ | |
| 21 | Back 40 BBQ | |
| 22 | NEW SOUTH BBQ | |
| 23 | Big Blue Que | |
| 24 | Serial Grillers | |
| 25 | Camo Cookers | |
| 26 | Underhog | |
| 27 | Deep Southeast | |
| 28 | The Lumbee Smokers | |
| 29 | SHEATS SMOKED MEATS | |
| 30 | Y-NOT! SMOKIN QUE | |
| 31 | Chez Ham | |
| 32 | JoBeaz Blazin' Butts & Wings | |
| 33 | Tippin; the Scales | |
| 34 | SLACK'S RACKS | |
| 35 | Fuqua Southern Food | |
| 36 | Wyld Child Catering | |
| 37 | Jack's Butt Rubbers |
33 entries · top 354.2744 · median 329.6800
33 entries · top 177.7028 · median 163.3944
33 entries · top 176.5716 · median 166.2400
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.
27 entries · top 180 · median 171.4400 · 🔥 perfect 180
49 entries · top 176.5600 · median 166.2284
33 entries · top 180 · median 165.0856 · 🔥 perfect 180