A statement win
9.1772
points clear of the field
Wider than 85% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The champion won by 9.1772 points — a wider margin than 85% of championships in the data.
Smoke on the Ohio 2026
Sep 11–12, 2026 · Mt. Vernon, IN · 📍 1817 Glen Eagles Dr. · State championship
Reps: Debra Gage, William Gage · Prize money: $9,000
Scuffletown Smokers won Grand Champion at the Smoke on the Ohio on September 11, 2026 in Mt. Vernon, IN at 1817 Glen Eagles Dr., scoring 708.0000 in a field of 26 teams. Mulkey's BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 698.8228. Category winners: Chicken — Mulkey's BBQ (178.2972); Pork Ribs — JaBs Bbq (177.7144); Pork — Mudville BBQ (178.3200); Brisket — Scuffletown Smokers (177.7028). This is the 9th of 9 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by JaBs.
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.
625.03
median 680.18
708 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.30
- Pork Ribs 177.71
- Pork 178.32
- Brisket 177.70
147.38
178.32
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2017 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
26
4 judged meats
Top score
708
Winning margin
9.1772
GC over RC
Field average
676.48
625.03708
median 680.18 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Brisket
1.7028 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
687.9200
625.03708
10th place overall
Field spread
82.9716
winner to last place
Prize money
$9,000
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 6%
beats 94% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
59%
16 of 27 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.8 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,597
avg power rating going in · stronger than 75% of contests
Storylines (6 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 dynasty in the making
3×
wins at this contest
3 of 9 tracked editions
Scuffletown Smokers has won this contest 3 times across its 9 tracked editions.
- 2019
- 2023
- 2026
A rookie on the podium
3rd
at their first tracked contest
Fire Brewed Bbq finished 3rd overall in the first contest the data has them cooking at all.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 13 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 4–5: W.Oink.C and Mudville BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 1–2: JaBs Bbq and Scuffletown Smokers tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 7–8: Meat Me in St. Louis and Janky Leg Bbq tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Pork Ribs 1–2 · tie
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · tie
- Pork Ribs 9–10 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
Scuffletown Smokers took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 3rd.
- Chicken 3rd
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Pork 3rd
- Brisket 1st
Back to defend
3
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: LOCAL YOKELS BBQ (won 2018), Scuffletown Smokers (won 2019, 2023), Mulkey's BBQ (won 2024).
- LOCAL YOKELS BBQ · 2018
- Scuffletown Smokers · 2019, 2023
- Mulkey's BBQ · 2024
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2017 | Mt.Vernon, IN | Water St | 29 | 693.0856 | FARMER'S RETREAT SMOKIN BARBEQUE | GRUMPY GOOSE BBQ |
| Sep 7, 2018 | Mt.Vernon, IN | Water St | 28 | 701.0856 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Sep 13, 2019 | Mt.Vernon, IN | 1 Locust | 28 | 701.1088 | Scuffletown Smokers | ONE2BBQ |
| Sep 10, 2021 | Mt. Vernon, IN | 110 East Water St. | 16 | 702.2400 | Local Yokels | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS |
| Sep 9, 2022 | Mt. Vernon, IN | Riverbend Park | 12 | 716 | Local Yokels | DB BBQ |
| Sep 8, 2023 | Mt. Vernon, IN | Riverbend Park | 25 | 709.6684 | Scuffletown Smokers | DB BBQ |
| Sep 13, 2024 | Mt. Vernon, IN | Riverbend Park | 28 | 703.9428 | Mulkey's BBQ | JaBs BBQ |
| Sep 12, 2025 | Mt. Vernon, IN | Riverbend Park | 27 | 709.1428 | JaBs | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS |
| Sep 11, 2026 ← this one | Mt. Vernon, IN | 1817 Glen Eagles Dr. | 26 | 708 | Scuffletown Smokers | Mulkey's BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.2972 | 175.4172 | 172.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7144 | 175.4172 | 171.9772 |
| Pork | 178.3200 | 174.2628 | 171.4056 |
| Brisket | 177.7028 | 176 | 171.4056 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
26 entries · top 708 · median 680.1770
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scuffletown Smokers | |
| 2 | Mulkey's BBQ | |
| 3 | Fire Brewed Bbq | |
| 4 | Janky Leg Bbq | |
| 5 | Local Yokels BBQ | |
| 6 | Mudville BBQ | |
| 7 | Meat Me in St. Louis | |
| 8 | JaBs Bbq | |
| 9 | Armstrong Smoke Co | |
| 10 | Pooh Bear Bbq | |
| 11 | Bonpas Bottoms Bbq | |
| 12 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 13 | DB Bbq | |
| 14 | Winks BBQ | |
| 15 | Loaded-N-Rollin BBQ | |
| 16 | Powell's Pig Pile Bbq | |
| 17 | AbiCue | |
| 18 | Temptation Station | |
| 19 | Oui Oui Oui BBQ | |
| 20 | Memphis Original BBQ | |
| 21 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 22 | Blue Pig Smokin Heirs | |
| 23 | W.Oink.C | |
| 24 | Zillas BBQ | |
| 25 | GPAS Pub | |
| 26 | Global Smokers |
Chicken
26 entries · top 178.2972 · median 171.9656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mulkey's BBQ | |
| 2 | Memphis Original BBQ | |
| 3 | Scuffletown Smokers | |
| 4 | W.Oink.C | |
| 5 | Mudville BBQ | |
| 6 | Powell's Pig Pile Bbq | |
| 7 | Meat Me in St. Louis | |
| 8 | Fire Brewed Bbq | |
| 9 | Pooh Bear Bbq | |
| 10 | Local Yokels BBQ | |
| 11 | Armstrong Smoke Co | |
| 12 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 13 | Oui Oui Oui BBQ | |
| 14 | Janky Leg Bbq | |
| 15 | JaBs Bbq | |
| 16 | Winks BBQ | |
| 17 | DB Bbq | |
| 18 | AbiCue | |
| 19 | Zillas BBQ | |
| 20 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 21 | Bonpas Bottoms Bbq | |
| 22 | Loaded-N-Rollin BBQ | |
| 23 | Temptation Station | |
| 24 | Blue Pig Smokin Heirs | |
| 25 | Global Smokers | |
| 26 | GPAS Pub |
Pork Ribs
26 entries · top 177.7144 · median 170.5428
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JaBs Bbq | |
| 2 | Scuffletown Smokers | |
| 3 | Fire Brewed Bbq | |
| 4 | Mulkey's BBQ | |
| 5 | Loaded-N-Rollin BBQ | |
| 6 | Local Yokels BBQ | |
| 7 | Meat Me in St. Louis | |
| 8 | Janky Leg Bbq | |
| 9 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 10 | Armstrong Smoke Co | |
| 11 | Bonpas Bottoms Bbq | |
| 12 | Pooh Bear Bbq | |
| 13 | DB Bbq | |
| 14 | Blue Pig Smokin Heirs | |
| 15 | Temptation Station | |
| 16 | Memphis Original BBQ | |
| 17 | AbiCue | |
| 18 | Winks BBQ | |
| 19 | Powell's Pig Pile Bbq | |
| 20 | Global Smokers | |
| 21 | Mudville BBQ | |
| 22 | Oui Oui Oui BBQ | |
| 23 | Zillas BBQ | |
| 24 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 25 | W.Oink.C | |
| 26 | GPAS Pub |
Pork
26 entries · top 178.3200 · median 168.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mudville BBQ | |
| 2 | Local Yokels BBQ | |
| 3 | Scuffletown Smokers | |
| 4 | DB Bbq | |
| 5 | Janky Leg Bbq | |
| 6 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 7 | Fire Brewed Bbq | |
| 8 | JaBs Bbq | |
| 9 | Bonpas Bottoms Bbq | |
| 10 | Temptation Station | |
| 11 | Armstrong Smoke Co | |
| 12 | Winks BBQ | |
| 13 | Pooh Bear Bbq | |
| 14 | Mulkey's BBQ | |
| 15 | Meat Me in St. Louis | |
| 16 | Oui Oui Oui BBQ | |
| 17 | Zillas BBQ | |
| 18 | Blue Pig Smokin Heirs | |
| 19 | Loaded-N-Rollin BBQ | |
| 20 | Powell's Pig Pile Bbq | |
| 21 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 22 | AbiCue | |
| 23 | Memphis Original BBQ | |
| 24 | GPAS Pub | |
| 25 | Global Smokers | |
| 26 | W.Oink.C |
Brisket
26 entries · top 177.7028 · median 170.5484
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scuffletown Smokers | |
| 2 | Meat Me in St. Louis | |
| 3 | Janky Leg Bbq | |
| 4 | AbiCue | |
| 5 | Mulkey's BBQ | |
| 6 | Mudville BBQ | |
| 7 | Pooh Bear Bbq | |
| 8 | Fire Brewed Bbq | |
| 9 | Armstrong Smoke Co | |
| 10 | Local Yokels BBQ | |
| 11 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 12 | Winks BBQ | |
| 13 | Bonpas Bottoms Bbq | |
| 14 | Loaded-N-Rollin BBQ | |
| 15 | Powell's Pig Pile Bbq | |
| 16 | JaBs Bbq | |
| 17 | Oui Oui Oui BBQ | |
| 18 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 19 | Temptation Station | |
| 20 | DB Bbq | |
| 21 | W.Oink.C | |
| 22 | GPAS Pub | |
| 23 | Memphis Original BBQ | |
| 24 | Blue Pig Smokin Heirs | |
| 25 | Global Smokers | |
| 26 | Zillas BBQ |