A razor-thin finish
1.1656
points between champion and reserve
Closer than 79% of the 4,713 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1656 points — closer than 79% of every championship in the data.
- 913 BBQ
- KC SMOKE DAWGS
Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 2022
Sep 23–24, 2022 · Shawnee, KS · 📍 11600 Johnson Drive · State championship
Reps: Dave Rogers, Forrest Bruce, Larry Hadley, Peg Rogers · Prize money: $6,350
913 BBQ won Grand Champion at the Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship on September 23, 2022 in Shawnee, KS at 11600 Johnson Drive, scoring 709.7256 in a field of 87 teams. KC SMOKE DAWGS took Reserve Grand Champion with 708.5600. Category winners: Chicken — 913 BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — KC SMOKE DAWGS (179.4400); Pork — GEO SMOKERS (180.0000); Brisket — Whiskey Friday BBQ (178.2972). This is the 7th of 7 editions of this contest on record; the 2021 edition was won by Mad Mutt's BBQ.
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.
439.85
median 655.33
709.73 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 179.44
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 178.30
129.03
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2022 — this edition picked out.
Entries
87
4 judged meats · 2 ancillary
Top score
709.7256
Winning margin
1.1656
GC over RC
Field average
652.22
439.85709.73
median 655.33 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Brisket
0.5944 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
691.9316
439.85709.73
10th place overall
Field spread
269.8740
winner to last place
Prize money
$6,350
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 3%
beats 97% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
66%
57 of 86 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.65 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,522
avg power rating going in · stronger than 15% of contests
Storylines (7 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
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 7 tracked editions
BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE has won this contest 2 times across its 7 tracked editions.
- 2015
- 2016
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 16 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 6–7: Velvet Swine and Hog's Plan BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: Pine Tar BBQ and Shorthorn BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 1–2: KC SMOKE DAWGS and GEO SMOKERS tied on 179.4400 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Chicken 8–9 · tie
- Pork Ribs 1–2 · tie
- Pork Ribs 5–6 · tie
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
913 BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 15th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 3rd
- Pork 15th
- Brisket 6th
Back to defend
3
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE (won 2015, 2016), Fat & Dumb BBQ (won 2019), Mad Mutt's BBQ (won 2021).
- BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE · 2015, 2016
- Fat & Dumb BBQ · 2019
- Mad Mutt's BBQ · 2021
One of the big ones
87
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 97% of the 5,468 contests in the data
87 teams — bigger than 97% of the 5,468 contests in the data.
A perfect score on the table
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- 913 BBQ · Chicken
- GEO SMOKERS · Pork
This contest's own records (1 in the KCBS record book)
Records held by every edition of this contest put together, not just this one afternoon.
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 27, 2013 | Shawnee, KS | Shawnee, KS | 114 | 685.6800 | 3 GUYS WITH WOOD | HOGGY STYLE |
| Sep 26, 2014 | Shawnee, KS | Shawnee, KS 66203 | 112 | 694.2856 | KC Q | MIDNIGHT STOKERS |
| Sep 25, 2015 | Shawnee, KS | Shawnee, KS 66216 | 112 | 709.1200 | BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE | FUNNY FARM BBQ |
| Sep 23, 2016 | Shawnee, KS | Shawnee, KS | 111 | 686.2284 | BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE | SKUNK RIVER BBQ |
| Sep 27, 2019 | Shawnee, KS | Shawnee Town 1929 | 102 | 714.8572 | Fat & Dumb BBQ | 913 BBQ |
| Sep 24, 2021 | Shawnee, KS | Shawnee Town | 86 | 709.1316 | Mad Mutt's BBQ | 913 BBQ |
| Sep 23, 2022 ← this one | Shawnee, KS | 11600 Johnson Drive | 87 | 709.7256 | 913 BBQ | KC SMOKE DAWGS |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 176.5944 | 175.4056 |
| Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 177.7028 | 175.4172 |
| Pork | 180 | 178.8572 | 176.5600 |
| Brisket | 178.2972 | 177.7028 | 174.2744 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
87 entries · top 709.7256 · median 655.3256
Chicken
87 entries · top 180 · median 165.6800 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
87 entries · top 179.4400 · median 163.4060
Pork
86 entries · top 180 · median 163.9542 · 🔥 perfect 180
Brisket
87 entries · top 178.2972 · median 161.1428
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 — Chefs Choice
18 entries · top 180 · median 173.4228 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shell Rock Smokers | |
| 2 | Right Time BBQ | |
| 3 | Jurassic Pork | |
| 4 | Rock Chalk Jayhawk BBQ | |
| 5 | Velvet Swine | |
| 6 | HAWG HEAVEN | |
| 7 | Why Not Smoke | |
| 8 | Silence of the Hams | |
| 9 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 10 | Overland Pig Committee | |
| 11 | YARDHOGS BBQ | |
| 12 | Smokeritaville | |
| 13 | RIB I'S | |
| 14 | F.O.M.S.B. | |
| 15 | Smokin' Beaver | |
| 16 | NachBarBQ | |
| 17 | LEGENDARY BARBEQUE | |
| 18 | BULLHORN BBQ |
Ancillary — Sausage
52 entries · top 177.7028 · median 168.8342