RUBY CREEK BBQ IL
Rating
1586
peak 1586 · rated over 27 contests
Best runs
6
straight top-10s
Contests
39
in the data
First seen
2019-05-31
latest 2026-06-19
Best ToY finish
#93
Backyard 2024
Grand champs
1
2 reserve
Category wins
5
15 podiums
Overall top-10s
15
of 39 contests
Avg finish
top 39%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
338.48 ▼
last 5 Backyard vs avg 348.56 (-10.08)
Walk rate
59%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
6
best run (overall)
Consistency
±51.65
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 167.21 · weakest Brisket (162.85)
Road miles
5289
mi across 36 mapped stops · furthest 349 mi
Schedule strength
53%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1548)
Purse competed for
$140K
listed at 31 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
GCs in 12 state-championship entries
Master avg
663.56 / 720
5 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
348.56 / 360
21 Backyard contests · 1 GC
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
Storylines
👀 Looking over their shoulder
LOCAL YOKELS BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ has come out ahead in 8 of their 9 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of HOT EMBERS BBQ in 5 of their 6 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) is their spot: an average finish in the top 14% across 2 visits.
💔 The heartbreaker
Came within 0.5600 points of the Grand Championship at Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) (2023-08-19).
😤 Pork Ribs nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ has out-cooked them in 12 of 15 shared pork ribs entries.
🐣 Announced themselves early
Finished 4 of 17 at their very first tracked contest, Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) ().
Teams like this (closest power rating, IL first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rudes BBQ | 15 | 7 | 8 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| Shmack Q | 14 | 6 | 8 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BBQ BUS | 13 | 5 | 8 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| Sermerstout BBQ | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | 11 | 7 | 4 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 10 | 5 | 5 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| 309 BBQ | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| QUE U | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| WE WILL ROCK QUE | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| Loose Cannon BBQ | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| Rusty Pig BBQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Up From The Pits BBQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| SmoQued On Main St | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 30 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 177.7028 | 151.3256 | 165.52 | top 42% |
| Pork Ribs | 38 | 21 | 1 | 9 | 175.4172 | 150.8116 | 167.21 | top 39% |
| Pork | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 177.7028 | 155.3484 | 165.78 | top 49% |
| Brisket | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170.2856 | 154.3316 | 162.85 | top 74% |
“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.
By state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | 18 | 0 | top 37% |
| MI | 4 | 1 | top 28% |
| TN | 4 | 0 | top 46% |
| IN | 3 | 0 | top 41% |
| IA | 1 | 0 | top 93% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 6 | 1 | top 41% |
| Medium (20–39) | 15 | 0 | top 29% |
| Large (40+) | 9 | 0 | top 56% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | 4 | 2 | 0 | top 31% | 2024-08-17 |
| Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 39% | 2026-06-19 |
| GLBBQA Spring Fling | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 46% | 2025-04-18 |
| Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | 2 | 30 | 0 | top 31% | 2025-03-14 |
| Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 14% | 2024-06-14 |
| Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 63% | 2023-09-15 |
| Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 30% | 2023-08-25 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2024 (10 contests)
- Cooks mostly in IL (24 of 39 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (38 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: September Fest (2024-09-13)
- Wins it all in 3% of contests
- Average Master overall score: 663.56 / 720
- Average Backyard overall score: 348.56 / 360
Milestones
- 🚩 — First tracked contest · Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 📣 — First call · Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 🎖️ 2024-04-19 — 25th tracked contest · GLBBQA Spring Fling
- ⭐ 2024-04-19 — Career-best overall score (691.9772) · GLBBQA Spring Fling
- 🏆 2024-09-13 — First Grand Championship · September Fest
- 📈 2026-06-19 — Peak power rating (1586) · Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.6 | September Fest | 2024-09-13 |
| +14 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2023-08-19 |
| +13.9 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown | 2025-06-27 |
| +12.3 | Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2023-07-15 |
| +12.1 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2022-08-20 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.5 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | 2024-03-29 |
| -12.4 | Covid-Que Relief (Day 1) | 2020-06-19 |
| -9.3 | GLBBQA Spring Fling | 2025-04-18 |
| -8.6 | Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main | 2024-07-27 |
| -8 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2024-08-17 |
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 67% | top 28% | 89.8% | 89.8% |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 39% | 95.2% | 95.2% |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43% | top 39% | 96.5% | 94.5% |
| 2024 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 30% | top 48% | 96.1% | 92.4% |
| 2023 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 80% | top 26% | 140.8% | 109.8% |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 20% | 90.8% | 90.8% |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 53% | 90.4% | 88% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 94% | 86.7% | 86.7% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 14% | 86.9% | 86.9% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 16 / 41 (342.8456) | 20 (168.5484) | 9 (174.2972) | — | — |
| 2025-08-31 | Smokin Ghost BBQ Rib Double Dip 2 (ONE MEAT RIBS) Chillicothe, IL | — | — | 14 (160.5260) | — | — |
| 2025-08-31 | Smokin Ghost BBQ Rib Double Dip 1 (ONE MEAT RIBS) Chillicothe, IL | — | — | 8 (168.5372) | — | — |
| 2025-06-27 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL | 3 / 26 (347.4056) | 5 (173.7028) | 2 (173.7028) | — | — |
| 2025-06-20 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 14 / 36 (341.1088) | 10 (174.8572) | 25 (166.2516) | — | — |
| 2025-04-18 | GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Charlotte, MI | 43 / 56 (667.9084) | 52 (162.2628) | 17 (171.4172) | 44 (167.3828) | 39 (166.8456) |
| 2025-03-14 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 30 / 100 (337.6572) | 29 (167.9772) | 26 (169.6800) | 16 (170.2628) | — |
| 2025-03-14 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 29 (171.4172) | — | — |
| 2024-09-13 | September Fest 🏅 Coldwater, MI | 1 / 18 (335.9428) | 1 (165.0856) | 1 (170.8572) | — | — |
| 2024-08-17 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 19 / 26 (323.8972) | 17 (166.2400) | 20 (157.6572) | — | — |
| 2024-07-27 | Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main 🏅 Collinsville, IL | 24 / 34 (315.8744) | 27 (155.9200) | 18 (159.9544) | — | — |
| 2024-06-14 | Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Logansport, IN | 4 / 28 (343.4284) | 7 (171.4056) | 3 (172.0228) | — | — |
| 2024-05-25 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL Lebanon, TN | 33 / 47 (339.3828) | 43 (165.1200) | 7 (174.2628) | — | — |
| 2024-05-24 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN Lebanon, TN | 63 / 118 (682.7540) | 11 (177.7028) | 11 (175.4172) | 112 (161.6684) | 77 (167.9656) |
| 2024-04-19 | GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Charlotte, MI | 10 / 62 (691.9772) | 13 (176.0000) | 21 (171.4172) | 15 (174.2744) | 29 (170.2856) |
| 2024-03-29 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 39 / 42 (325.0284) | 40 (160.5028) | 31 (164.5256) | — | — |
| 2024-03-15 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 30 / 93 (324.4456) | 40 (158.2056) | 20 (166.2400) | 19 (166.2516) | — |
| 2024-03-15 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023-10-06 | Smokin' for Garrett 🏅 Mt. Carmel, IL | 3 / 26 (501.0168) | 1 (173.1084) | 2 (172.5600) | 10 (155.3484) | — |
| 2023-09-15 | Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) Yorkville, IL | 12 / 17 (666.1716) | 16 (155.9316) | 11 (165.6800) | 1 (177.7028) | — |
| 2023-09-15 | Saluting with Smoke Single Meat - Rib Burn (ONE MEAT RIBS) Yorkville, IL | — | — | 4 (175.4056) | — | — |
| 2023-09-03 | Rib Double Dip (2) (ONE MEAT RIBS) Chillicothe, IL | — | — | 9 (168.5600) | — | — |
| 2023-09-03 | Rib Double Dip (1) (ONE MEAT RIBS) Chillicothe, IL | — | — | 11 (163.4056) | — | — |
| 2023-08-25 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 12 / 26 (330.2056) | 14 (166.2400) | 11 (163.9656) | — | — |
| 2023-08-19 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 2 / 32 (342.2628) | 3 (173.1200) | 2 (169.1428) | — | — |
| 2023-07-15 | Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Dowagiac, MI | 2 / 16 (349.6800) | 2 (174.2628) | 2 (175.4172) | — | — |
| 2023-06-16 | Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Logansport, IN | 3 / 21 (341.6800) | 1 (173.1544) | 6 (168.5256) | — | — |
| 2023-05-27 | Westmont Red White & BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Westmont, IL | 6 / 34 (506.7884) | 8 (171.9656) | 8 (168.5600) | 10 (166.2628) | — |
| 2022-11-04 | Saluting with Smoke Single Meat Rib Burn (ONE MEAT RIBS) Yorkville, IL | — | — | 11 (169.6800) | — | — |
| 2022-08-20 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 4 / 20 (326.7544) | 12 (158.2172) | 2 (168.5372) | — | — |
| 2022-05-14 | BBQ, BLESSINGS & THE VFW (ONE MEAT RIBS) Oconomowoc, WI | — | — | 8 (158.1940) | — | — |
| 2021-11-05 | Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) Yorkville, IL | 10 / 18 (655.2336) | 5 (166.2284) | 8 (164.5484) | 13 (165.1200) | — |
| 2021-09-10 | Honor-Q 🏅 Yorkville, IL | 13 / 17 (650.7200) | 13 (159.3600) | 5 (173.1200) | 12 (163.3944) | 16 (154.8456) |
| 2021-07-16 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown Day 1 🏅 Eureka, IL | 7 / 25 (307.9544) | 7 (157.1428) | 7 (150.8116) | — | — |
| 2020-06-19 | Covid-Que Relief (Day 1) Franklin, IN | 65 / 69 (624.4460) | 66 (157.6572) | 61 (156.5144) | 64 (155.9428) | 64 (154.3316) |
| 2019-05-31 | Up In Smoke on the Square 🏅 Lincoln, IL | 5 / 36 (312.9828) | 8 (151.3256) | 3 (161.6572) | — | — |
| Saluting with Smoke-Yorkville (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) Yorkville, IL | 6 / 22 (672.5144) | 9 (164.0000) | 10 (163.9772) | — | — | |
| Saluting With Smoke (COMPETITORS SERIES) Yorkville, IL | 13 / 38 (493.6116) | 17 (162.2400) | 16 (162.2516) | — | — | |
| Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 4 / 17 (323.3600) | 4 (158.2628) | 3 (165.0972) | — | — |
Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)
Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #251 (105 pts) | #278 (85 pts) | #225 (145 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #144 (397 pts) | #150 (367 pts) | #104 (597 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #1148 (60 pts) | #1221 (60 pts) | #547 (390 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #93 (658 pts) | #100 (623 pts) | #62 (821 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #729 (195 pts) | #692 (250 pts) | #796 (210 pts) | #824 (170 pts) | #922 (120 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #22 (1159 pts) | #41 (1049 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | — | — | #451 (543 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #270 (110 pts) | #157 (245 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1075 (130 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #98 (331 pts) | #91 (356 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #1067 (102 pts) | #1122 (102 pts) | #870 (167 pts) | #1081 (107 pts) | #1139 (87 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #856 (60 pts) | #896 (60 pts) | #913 (60 pts) | #899 (60 pts) | #883 (60 pts) |