A statement win
9.2000
points clear of the field
Wider than 85% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 9.2000 points — a wider margin than 85% of championships in the data.
WV Hunting Heroes BBQ Throwdown
Apr 21–22, 2023 · Cottageville, WV · 📍 Jackson County Fairgrounds · State championship
Reps: Carol Bigler, Randy G Bigler · Prize money: $5,300
UNDER THE RADAR won Grand Champion at the WV Hunting Heroes BBQ Throwdown on April 21, 2023 in Cottageville, WV at Jackson County Fairgrounds, scoring 670.1712 in a field of 15 teams. MUTTLEY CREW BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 660.9712. Category winners: Chicken — HOGGY BOTTOM BOYS, KY (169.6684); Pork Ribs — MUTTLEY CREW BBQ (173.1316); Pork — BIG DOGG BBQ - CINCINNATI, OH (167.4172); Brisket — UNDER THE RADAR (169.1200). The Backyard Series standings were won by T & S BBQ with 529.1544.
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.
119.95
median 642.18
670.17 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Master Series — Chicken 169.67
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 173.13
- Master Series — Pork 167.42
- Master Series — Brisket 169.12
- Backyard Series — Chicken 177.71
- Backyard Series — Pork Ribs 178.86
- Backyard Series — Pork 177.14
20
178.86
Entries
15
7 judged meats
Top score
670.1712
Winning margin
9.2000
GC over RC
Field average
582.66
119.95670.17
median 642.18 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
5.1888 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
598.6512
119.95670.17
10th place overall
Field spread
550.2168
winner to last place
Prize money
$5,300
on the line
Double threats
12
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 96%
beats 4% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.79 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,562
avg power rating going in · stronger than 48% of contests
Storylines (4 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.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 5 calls decided inside half a point
Master Series — Pork places 1–2: BIG DOGG BBQ - CINCINNATI, OH and ShawnBo's BBQ tied on 167.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork Ribs places 2–3: UNDER THE RADAR edged HIGH ON THE HOG OHIO by 0.0116. Backyard Series — Chicken places 4–5: H.A. Cafe edged POOR BOYS BBQ by 0.0116.
- Master Series — Pork 1–2 · tie
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 2–3 · 0.0116
- Backyard Series — Chicken 4–5 · 0.0116
- Backyard Series — Pork Ribs 2–3 · 0.0344
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
T & S BBQ won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
UNDER THE RADAR took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 5th.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Pork 5th
- Brisket 1st
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)
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 169.6684 | 161.1084 | 154.2400 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 173.1316 | 163.9772 | 145.0856 |
| Master Series — Pork | 167.4172 | 162.2284 | 154.2744 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 169.1200 | 163.3944 | 152.5144 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 177.7144 | 166.8112 | — |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 166.2972 | — |
| Backyard Series — Pork | 177.1428 | 153.0740 | — |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
15 entries · top 670.1712 · median 642.1832
Chicken
14 entries · top 169.6684 · median 156.2228
Pork Ribs
14 entries · top 173.1316 · median 158.8172
Pork
14 entries · top 167.4172 · median 158.8228
Brisket
15 entries · top 169.1200 · median 157.1200
Backyard Series
Overall
6 entries · top 529.1544 · median 509.3598 · out of 540, not the usual 360
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | T & S BBQ | |
| 2 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 3 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 4 | Dogpatch Q | |
| 5 | H.A. Cafe | |
| 6 | Sawdust BBQ |
Chicken
6 entries · top 177.7144 · median 167.9714
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | T & S BBQ | |
| 2 | Dogpatch Q | |
| 3 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 4 | H.A. Cafe | |
| 5 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 6 | Sawdust BBQ |
Pork Ribs
6 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.8286
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | T & S BBQ | |
| 2 | H.A. Cafe | |
| 3 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 4 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 5 | Dogpatch Q | |
| 6 | Sawdust BBQ |
Pork
6 entries · top 177.1428 · median 171.7028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 2 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 3 | T & S BBQ | |
| 4 | Dogpatch Q | |
| 5 | Sawdust BBQ | |
| 6 | H.A. Cafe |