Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest (JUDGE'S FULL)
2022-04-22 – 2022-04-23 · Sugar Creek, MO · 📍 11520 Putnam · State championship
Reps: ED YOUNG, ROSEMARY MORROW · Prize money: $10,580.00
Grand Champion: MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ (703.3828) · 35 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 AMERICAN FIRE BBQ
Entries
35
4 judged meats
Top score
703.3828
Winning margin
1.1200
GC over RC
Field average
659.68
median 675.35
Tightest race
Chicken
1.7144 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
689.0628
10th place overall
Field spread
397.1768
winner to last place
Prize money
$10,580.00
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 33%
beats 67% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
51%
of the 35 teams with a home region came from outside MO
Came back for more
37%
10 of 27 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.74 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1562
avg power rating going in · stronger than 67% of contests
Storylines
🪒 A razor-thin finish
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1200 points — closer than 82% of every championship in the data.
🔥 A day of perfect scores
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest.
🧹 A double category winner
The Boys in Que won Chicken, Brisket — a double.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 1–2: The Boys in Que and GO HAM BBQ tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 2–3: GO HAM BBQ and GETTIN' SAUCED tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ and Heavy Smoke BBQ tied on 176.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: HEAVY SMOKE BBQ (won 2021).
🃏 An upset on the books
MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, SLAPS BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 25-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-04-26 | Sugar Creek, MO | 11520 Putman | 42 | 696.5028 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | SLAPS BBQ |
| 2021-10-15 | Sugar Creek, MO | 11520 Putnam | 27 | 699.9544 | HEAVY SMOKE BBQ | SLAPS BBQ |
| 2022-04-22 ← this one | 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 | 177.7144 | 176.0000 | 175.4056 |
| Pork Ribs | 180.0000 | 174.2628 | 172.5716 |
| Pork | 180.0000 | 177.1428 | 173.1200 |
| Brisket | 180.0000 | 177.7028 | 173.1200 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
35 entries · top 703.3828 · median 675.3488
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 2 | AMERICAN FIRE BBQ | |
| 3 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 4 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY O.G | |
| 5 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 6 | The Boys in Que | |
| 7 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 8 | TEDDY CAMP 2 | |
| 9 | Smoke 'n Magic | |
| 10 | GO HAM BBQ | |
| 11 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 12 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 13 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 14 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 15 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | |
| 16 | IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | |
| 17 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 18 | Smoke Ringers | |
| 19 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 20 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 21 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 22 | Run Pig Run | |
| 23 | Scratch that Itch BBQ | |
| 24 | POWER I BBQ | |
| 25 | The BBQ Mavens | |
| 26 | SOFA KING SWEET BBQ | |
| 27 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 28 | GRILLAS | |
| 29 | IHC BBQ | |
| 30 | Onlyfansbbq | |
| 31 | Summa Dat Que | |
| 32 | SHORTHORN BBQ | |
| 33 | BALD BEAUTIES BBQ | |
| 34 | HI-TECH SMOKERS | |
| 35 | PONCHO, CISCO, THE KID & COMPANY |
Chicken
35 entries · top 177.7144 · median 169.1312
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Boys in Que | |
| 2 | GO HAM BBQ | |
| 3 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 4 | Smoke 'n Magic | |
| 5 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 6 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 7 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 8 | AMERICAN FIRE BBQ | |
| 9 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY O.G | |
| 10 | Run Pig Run | |
| 11 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 12 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 13 | Smoke Ringers | |
| 14 | TEDDY CAMP 2 | |
| 15 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 16 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 17 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 18 | POWER I BBQ | |
| 19 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 20 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 21 | The BBQ Mavens | |
| 22 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | |
| 23 | IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | |
| 24 | BALD BEAUTIES BBQ | |
| 25 | Scratch that Itch BBQ | |
| 26 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 27 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 28 | SOFA KING SWEET BBQ | |
| 29 | SHORTHORN BBQ | |
| 30 | Onlyfansbbq | |
| 31 | GRILLAS | |
| 32 | Summa Dat Que | |
| 33 | HI-TECH SMOKERS | |
| 34 | IHC BBQ | |
| 35 | PONCHO, CISCO, THE KID & COMPANY |
Pork Ribs
35 entries · top 180.0000 · median 168.5256 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 2 | AMERICAN FIRE BBQ | |
| 3 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 4 | The Boys in Que | |
| 5 | TEDDY CAMP 2 | |
| 6 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 7 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 8 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 9 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 10 | Smoke 'n Magic | |
| 11 | Smoke Ringers | |
| 12 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY O.G | |
| 13 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 14 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | |
| 15 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 16 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 17 | IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | |
| 18 | GO HAM BBQ | |
| 19 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 20 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 21 | IHC BBQ | |
| 22 | Scratch that Itch BBQ | |
| 23 | POWER I BBQ | |
| 24 | Summa Dat Que | |
| 25 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 26 | Onlyfansbbq | |
| 27 | Run Pig Run | |
| 28 | The BBQ Mavens | |
| 29 | SHORTHORN BBQ | |
| 30 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 31 | PONCHO, CISCO, THE KID & COMPANY | |
| 32 | GRILLAS | |
| 33 | HI-TECH SMOKERS | |
| 34 | BALD BEAUTIES BBQ | |
| 35 | SOFA KING SWEET BBQ |
Pork
34 entries · top 180.0000 · median 167.4000 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 2 | AMERICAN FIRE BBQ | |
| 3 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 4 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 5 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 6 | GO HAM BBQ | |
| 7 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 8 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 9 | IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | |
| 10 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY O.G | |
| 11 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | |
| 12 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 13 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 14 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 15 | TEDDY CAMP 2 | |
| 16 | SOFA KING SWEET BBQ | |
| 17 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 18 | IHC BBQ | |
| 19 | The Boys in Que | |
| 20 | Smoke 'n Magic | |
| 21 | GRILLAS | |
| 22 | Smoke Ringers | |
| 23 | Onlyfansbbq | |
| 24 | POWER I BBQ | |
| 25 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 26 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 27 | Scratch that Itch BBQ | |
| 28 | Summa Dat Que | |
| 29 | The BBQ Mavens | |
| 30 | Run Pig Run | |
| 31 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 32 | SHORTHORN BBQ | |
| 33 | BALD BEAUTIES BBQ | |
| 34 | HI-TECH SMOKERS |
Brisket
34 entries · top 180.0000 · median 169.1142 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Boys in Que | |
| 2 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY O.G | |
| 3 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 4 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 5 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 6 | SOFA KING SWEET BBQ | |
| 7 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 8 | TEDDY CAMP 2 | |
| 9 | IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | |
| 10 | Smoke 'n Magic | |
| 11 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 12 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 13 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 14 | AMERICAN FIRE BBQ | |
| 15 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 16 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 17 | Scratch that Itch BBQ | |
| 18 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | |
| 19 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 20 | GO HAM BBQ | |
| 21 | The BBQ Mavens | |
| 22 | Run Pig Run | |
| 23 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 24 | Smoke Ringers | |
| 25 | GRILLAS | |
| 26 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 27 | POWER I BBQ | |
| 28 | Onlyfansbbq | |
| 29 | IHC BBQ | |
| 30 | SHORTHORN BBQ | |
| 31 | BALD BEAUTIES BBQ | |
| 32 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 33 | HI-TECH SMOKERS | |
| 34 | Summa Dat Que |