Smokin In the Creek BBQ Contest
2021-10-15 – 2021-10-16 · Sugar Creek, MO · 📍 11520 Putnam · State championship
Reps: ROSEMARY MORROW · Prize money: $6,520.00
Grand Champion: HEAVY SMOKE BBQ (699.9544) · 27 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 SLAPS BBQ
Entries
27
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
699.9544
Winning margin
6.3088
GC over RC
Field average
655.43
median 672.48
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Brisket
1.1772 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
677.0972
10th place overall
Field spread
157.2912
winner to last place
Prize money
$6,520.00
on the line
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 48%
beats 52% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
41%
of the 27 teams with a home region came from outside MO
Came back for more
21%
9 of 42 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.69 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1575
avg power rating going in · stronger than 76% of contests
Storylines
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 9–10: ALL FORKED UP FOR Q and KC SMOKE DAWGS tied on 170.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: WABASH BBQ and JJ’s Bangin’ BBQ tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 4–5: GETTIN' SAUCED and Barking Dog BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: ALL FORKED UP FOR Q (won 2019).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-04-26 | Sugar Creek, MO | 11520 Putman | 42 | 696.5028 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | SLAPS BBQ |
| 2021-10-15 ← this one | Sugar Creek, MO | 11520 Putnam | 27 | 699.9544 | HEAVY SMOKE BBQ | SLAPS BBQ |
| 2022-04-22 | Sugar Creek, MO | 11520 Putnam | 35 | 703.3828 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | AMERICAN FIRE BBQ |
| 2022-04-22 | Sugar Creek, MO | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024-04-26 | Sugar Creek, MO | 11520 Putnam | 44 | 703.9544 | Wabash BBQ | Mulkey's BBQ |
| 2025-04-25 | Sugar Creek, MO | 11520 Putnam | 40 | 703.3828 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS |
| 2026-04-24 | Sugar Creek, MO | 11520 Putnam | 28 | 699.9772 | SLAPS BBQ | Squealin N Dealin BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.2972 | 173.7144 | 170.2628 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.1428 | 173.1200 | 167.4172 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 171.4172 |
| Brisket | 176.5828 | 175.4056 | 171.4056 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
27 entries · top 699.9544 · median 672.4800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 2 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 3 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 4 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 5 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 6 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 7 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 8 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 9 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 10 | TAILGATE GUYS BBQ | |
| 11 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 12 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 13 | MEAT BEATERS | |
| 14 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 15 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 16 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 17 | FLAMIN' M&M | |
| 18 | JJ’s Bangin’ BBQ | |
| 19 | SMOKE ON THE WATER | |
| 20 | WOODBROTHERS BBQ | |
| 21 | Run Pig Run | |
| 22 | SHAWHAN BEER BURBON & BBQ | |
| 23 | MULLET BROTHERS | |
| 24 | IHC BBQ | |
| 25 | HIGH TECH SMOKERS | |
| 26 | NUTTY COCKS BBQ | |
| 27 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ |
Chicken
27 entries · top 178.2972 · median 165.0972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 2 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 3 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 4 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 5 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 6 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 7 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 8 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 9 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 10 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 11 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 12 | TAILGATE GUYS BBQ | |
| 13 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 14 | FLAMIN' M&M | |
| 15 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 16 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 17 | IHC BBQ | |
| 18 | HIGH TECH SMOKERS | |
| 19 | MEAT BEATERS | |
| 20 | WOODBROTHERS BBQ | |
| 21 | NUTTY COCKS BBQ | |
| 22 | JJ’s Bangin’ BBQ | |
| 23 | MULLET BROTHERS | |
| 24 | SMOKE ON THE WATER | |
| 25 | Run Pig Run | |
| 26 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ | |
| 27 | SHAWHAN BEER BURBON & BBQ |
Pork Ribs
27 entries · top 177.1428 · median 165.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 2 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 3 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 4 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 5 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 6 | JJ’s Bangin’ BBQ | |
| 7 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 8 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 9 | MEAT BEATERS | |
| 10 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 11 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 12 | TAILGATE GUYS BBQ | |
| 13 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 14 | SMOKE ON THE WATER | |
| 15 | WOODBROTHERS BBQ | |
| 16 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 17 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 18 | SHAWHAN BEER BURBON & BBQ | |
| 19 | FLAMIN' M&M | |
| 20 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 21 | Run Pig Run | |
| 22 | HIGH TECH SMOKERS | |
| 23 | MULLET BROTHERS | |
| 24 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 25 | NUTTY COCKS BBQ | |
| 26 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ | |
| 27 | IHC BBQ |
Pork
27 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5256
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 2 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 3 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 4 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 5 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 6 | TAILGATE GUYS BBQ | |
| 7 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 8 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 9 | MEAT BEATERS | |
| 10 | FLAMIN' M&M | |
| 11 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 12 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 13 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 14 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 15 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 16 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 17 | JJ’s Bangin’ BBQ | |
| 18 | WOODBROTHERS BBQ | |
| 19 | SHAWHAN BEER BURBON & BBQ | |
| 20 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 21 | SMOKE ON THE WATER | |
| 22 | IHC BBQ | |
| 23 | Run Pig Run | |
| 24 | NUTTY COCKS BBQ | |
| 25 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ | |
| 26 | MULLET BROTHERS | |
| 27 | HIGH TECH SMOKERS |
Brisket
27 entries · top 176.5828 · median 166.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 2 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 3 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 4 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 5 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 6 | MEAT BEATERS | |
| 7 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 8 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 9 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 10 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 11 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 12 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 13 | TAILGATE GUYS BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKE ON THE WATER | |
| 15 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 16 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 17 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 18 | Run Pig Run | |
| 19 | JJ’s Bangin’ BBQ | |
| 20 | FLAMIN' M&M | |
| 21 | SHAWHAN BEER BURBON & BBQ | |
| 22 | MULLET BROTHERS | |
| 23 | HIGH TECH SMOKERS | |
| 24 | WOODBROTHERS BBQ | |
| 25 | IHC BBQ | |
| 26 | NUTTY COCKS BBQ | |
| 27 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ |
Ancillary categories
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.
Ancillary — Dessert
6 entries · top 174.2628 · median 170.0000
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 2 | MULLET BROTHERS | |
| 3 | FLAMIN' M&M | |
| 4 | WOODBROTHERS BBQ | |
| 5 | TAILGATE GUYS BBQ | |
| 6 | NUTTY COCKS BBQ |