BANJOMAN'S BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#2107

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1534

peak 1545 · rated over 28 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-10-11

latest 2022-05-13

Best ToY finish

#544

Master 2017

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

9 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 28 contests

Avg finish

top 52%

overall standings

Best overall

688.4800 / 720

Master · Cornelia Apple Blossom Competition

Perfect 180s

Current form

661.50 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 658.37 (+3.13)

Walk rate

71%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

177.7028

Chicken · Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship

Consistency

±11.85

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 167.65 · weakest Pork Ribs (160.31)

Road miles

2,345

mi across 28 mapped stops · furthest 207 mi

Schedule strength

40%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1553)

Purse competed for

$24K

listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 2 state-championship entries

Master avg

658.37 / 720

28 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (11 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

They almost always walk

71% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 20 of 28 contests

A top-10 category call in 71% of their 28 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

688.4800 career-best overall

95.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 688.4800 at Cornelia Apple Blossom Competition — 95.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
2017-04-21

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

MCADOO HEIGHTS BBQ has finished one call ahead of BANJOMAN'S BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2017 their best year

2017 was the year it came together: 6 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 40%.

6 contests
3 overall top-10s
1 category wins
average top 40%

A tough matchup

14–0 behind in the head-to-head

CHECKERED PIG ahead in 100% of their meetings

CHECKERED PIG has come out ahead in 14 of their 14 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.3 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.33 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 11% of the time against 29%.

Pork Ribs avg 160.31
Chicken avg 167.65
3 calls in 28 entries

A strong matchup

8–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of King's Cooking in 8 of their 10 shared contests.

The comeback

3.2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3.2 years, then back at Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship (2021-07-23).

last seen 2018-05-04
back 2021-07-23

Chicken nemesis

11 of 14 shared chicken entries lost

CHECKERED PIG ahead 79% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, CHECKERED PIG has out-cooked them in 11 of 14 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC has landed one call behind them 3 times.

The metronome

±1.65% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.65% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.4% of a perfect score
28 contests

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

72 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

THE HOG MAFIA

#2104 of the rated field

1534 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1553

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 30 contests to 28, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 29 contests
last seen 2023-07-06

⚔ Head-to-head

RFS Barbecue Team

#2112 of the rated field

1533 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 19%
Peak: 1538

No shared contest yet.

27 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 19% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 26 contests
last seen 2022-06-25

⚔ Head-to-head

MUST B SMOKIN' SOMETHING

#2122 of the rated field

1533 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 19%
Peak: 1558

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 4 years before BANJOMAN'S BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 21 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

QUE BIZ

#2106 of the rated field

1534 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1565

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1565 at their best, 32 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 20 contests
last seen 2019-06-22

⚔ Head-to-head

G-QUE KY

#2114 of the rated field

1533 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 43
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 16%
Peak: 1543

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 41 contests
last seen 2021-09-17

⚔ Head-to-head

Smoke'Em All

#2120 of the rated field

1533 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 37%
Peak: 1550

No shared contest yet.

Level with BANJOMAN'S BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 19 contests
last seen 2025-10-17

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
CONTAGIOUS Q	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
SMOKING BUTT HEADS	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED PIG	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
SAUCED! BBQ TEAM	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY	12	5	7	42%	⚔ compare
WHO CARES BBQ	12	4	8	33%	⚔ compare
PICKIN' PORKERS	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
TOO SAUCED	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
RECYCLED SMOKE	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
King's Cooking	10	8	2	80%	⚔ compare
PORKYLICIOUS	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
BAYOU POKER SMOKERS	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	28	8	0	3	177.7028	157.6684	167.65	top 45%
Pork Ribs	28	3	0	1	174.8572	149.0856	160.31	top 65%
Pork	28	7	2	3	176.5600	153.1200	164.93	top 52%
Brisket	28	10	0	2	176.5600	148.4800	165.48	top 43%

“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	Avg finish
NC	18	top 55%
VA	5	top 52%
GA	2	top 40%
SC	2	top 47%
TN	1	top 41%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 76%
Medium (20–39)	16	top 49%
Large (40+)	11	top 55%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Jiggy With The Piggy	3	29	top 58%	2022-05-13
Hog Happnin'	2	33	top 65%	2016-11-04
Smoke on the mountain/VA state BBQ championship	2	9	top 50%	2016-07-15
Fiddle-N-Pig Shindig	2	15	top 47%	2015-09-11

The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 8.6 yrs 2013-10-11 → 2022-05-13

Busiest season 2015 8 contests

Contests a season 3.5 across 8 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NC 18 of 28 contests · 5 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 23 4 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 28 entries · 0 wins · 8 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 167.65 · weakest Pork Ribs (160.31)

Walk rate 71% a top-10 call in 20 of 28 contests

Overall top-10 rate 18% 5 of 28 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 658.37 out of 720 · 28 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 507 545–568 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 2,345 28 mapped stops · furthest 207 mi

Schedule strength 1553 average field rating faced — tougher than 40% of rated contests

Purse competed for $24,225 listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 2 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 3.2 yrs 2018-05-04 → 2021-07-23

Power rating 1534 peak 1545 · #2107 of 6,413 rated

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

2013
Oct 11 First tracked contest Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off
Oct 11 First call Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off
2014
Jun 6 First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.9428 Lincolnton Hog Happenin'
Oct 10 First overall top-10 Grill'n & Chill'n BBQ Cook-Off
2015
Apr 17 First category win (Pork) 19th Annual Firehouse BBQ Cook-Off
May 8 10th tracked contest Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge
Jul 17 Career-best single call (Chicken)177.7028 Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship
2017
Apr 21 First overall podium Cornelia Apple Blossom Competition
Apr 21 Career-best overall score688.4800 Cornelia Apple Blossom Competition
Oct 13 25th tracked contest *Grillin & chillin BBQ cook-off
Oct 13 Peak power rating (1545) *Grillin & chillin BBQ cook-off
2022
May 13 Most recent contest Jiggy With The Piggy

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16	Cornelia Apple Blossom Competition	2017-04-21
+8.4	Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship	2015-07-17
+8.3	*Grillin & chillin BBQ cook-off	2017-10-13
+7.4	Grill'n & Chill'n BBQ Cook-Off	2014-10-10
+6.6	Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge	2015-05-08

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.4	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2016-06-03
-6.3	Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship	2021-07-23
-6.2	Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off	2013-10-11
-5.3	Hog Happnin'	2016-11-04
-4.4	Smoke on the mountain/VA state BBQ championship	2016-07-15

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2022	1	0	0	0%	top 63%	92.6%	92.6%
2021	1	0	0	100%	top 76%	90.5%	90.5%
2018	1	0	0	0%	top 63%	90.9%	90.9%
2017	6	3	1	100%	top 40%	95.6%	93%
2016	4	0	0	50%	top 75%	90.3%	90%
2015	8	1	1	75%	top 44%	93.5%	92%
2014	6	1	0	67%	top 49%	92%	90.8%
2013	1	0	0	100%	top 72%	87.3%	87.3%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2022-05-13	Jiggy With The Piggy 🏅 Kannapolis, NC	29 / 46 (666.7544)	19 (170.8344)	33 (161.6916)	28 (166.2284)	17 (168.0000)
2021-07-23	Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship 🏅 Galax, VA	13 / 17 (651.2912)	4 (171.9656)	13 (162.8000)	12 (164.5484)	16 (151.9772)
2018-05-04	Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC	44 / 70 (654.1604)	16 (173.7144)	55 (155.9544)	60 (155.9316)	23 (168.5600)
2017-10-13	*Grillin & chillin BBQ cook-off Waxhaw, NC	9 / 29 (672.5600)	13 (166.8456)	4 (170.8572)	21 (161.7028)	3 (173.1544)
2017-07-21	Smoke on the mountain BBQ championship Galax, VA	10 / 25 (662.7428)	7 (170.8228)	12 (165.6800)	9 (163.9428)	14 (162.2972)
2017-06-16	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Alpharetta, GA	19 / 28 (667.3140)	2 (176.5600)	25 (161.7028)	22 (163.9656)	19 (165.0856)
2017-05-19	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	20 / 49 (673.6000)	21 (168.5256)	4 (174.8572)	35 (162.2400)	27 (167.9772)
2017-05-05	Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC	36 / 75 (653.6572)	5 (175.4516)	44 (161.7028)	46 (161.6800)	53 (154.8228)
2017-04-21	Cornelia Apple Blossom Competition Cornelia, GA	3 / 26 (688.4800)	20 (166.8228)	13 (169.6800)	1 (175.4172)	4 (176.5600)
2016-11-04	Hog Happnin' Shelby, NC	42 / 56 (646.7424)	40 (161.1084)	48 (151.3828)	35 (166.2284)	24 (168.0228)
2016-07-15	Smoke on the mountain/VA state BBQ championship Galax, VA	17 / 25 (648.4112)	6 (170.2628)	20 (155.9200)	18 (158.8228)	13 (163.4056)
2016-06-03	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Asheville, NC	25 / 27 (646.7424)	25 (159.9656)	27 (152.5140)	4 (172.0000)	21 (162.2628)
2016-04-15	20th Annual Fire House BBQ Cook-Off Kings Mountain, NC	26 / 41 (650.2512)	21 (166.2628)	38 (149.0856)	13 (167.4400)	18 (167.4628)
2015-10-16	Smoking In The Foothills Barbecue Competition and Festival Lenoir, NC	21 / 37 (665.0400)	16 (168.5372)	20 (165.6800)	13 (170.8344)	27 (159.9884)
2015-10-09	Waxhaw Grill'n & Chill'n Waxhaw, NC	11 / 28 (661.0628)	14 (167.3828)	26 (151.3944)	13 (167.9656)	5 (174.3200)
2015-09-11	Fiddle-N-Pig Shindig Fort Mill, SC	15 / 29 (659.8740)	13 (166.8228)	15 (165.1200)	22 (162.8228)	15 (165.1084)
2015-07-17	Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship Galax, VA	9 / 29 (673.0972)	3 (177.7028)	28 (150.7772)	3 (176.0344)	7 (168.5828)
2015-06-05	Hog Happenin' BBQ & Bike Fest Lincolnton, NC	14 / 34 (661.0172)	31 (157.6684)	21 (161.6572)	4 (173.1316)	10 (168.5600)
2015-05-08	Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge Kannapolis, NC	25 / 74 (668.0912)	54 (163.4400)	51 (159.4628)	10 (171.4284)	6 (173.7600)
2015-04-24	BBQ Capital Cook-Off Lexington, NC	26 / 60 (661.5656)	3 (177.1428)	51 (152.5144)	29 (166.2284)	20 (165.6800)
2015-04-17	19th Annual Firehouse BBQ Cook-Off Kings Mountain, NC	22 / 41 (651.8284)	18 (165.1200)	22 (161.6684)	1 (176.5600)	37 (148.4800)
2014-10-31	Hog Happnin' Shelby, NC	33 / 61 (657.0512)	49 (158.2628)	21 (168.5372)	43 (160.5484)	18 (169.7028)
2014-10-10	Grill'n & Chill'n BBQ Cook-Off Waxhaw, NC	9 / 27 (662.2972)	6 (171.9656)	2 (172.6060)	20 (157.7600)	13 (159.9656)
2014-09-19	Fiddle-N-Pig Shindig Fort Mill, SC	15 / 35 (655.2456)	11 (167.9772)	29 (155.3600)	25 (158.8000)	2 (173.1084)
2014-07-18	Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship Galax, VA	13 / 30 (659.3256)	12 (165.7028)	25 (157.0972)	12 (168.5256)	7 (168.0000)
2014-06-06	Lincolnton Hog Happenin' Lincolnton, NC	21 / 38 (651.9428)	28 (161.0972)	19 (163.4172)	33 (155.9884)	7 (171.4400)
2014-04-25	BBQ Capital Cookoff Lexington, NC	39 / 62 (635.8168)	23 (166.8112)	49 (153.0856)	44 (158.2172)	33 (157.7028)
2013-10-11	Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off Waxhaw, NC	18 / 25 (628.5028)	18 (159.3828)	16 (156.5828)	20 (153.1200)	9 (159.4172)

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
2022 ↗	Master	#1309 (60 pts)	#1231 (90 pts)	#1404 (60 pts)	#1348 (60 pts)	#1175 (100 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#1067 (102 pts)	#781 (192 pts)	#1154 (102 pts)	#1081 (107 pts)	#1139 (87 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#544 (718 pts)	#448 (863 pts)	#533 (753 pts)	#602 (673 pts)	#535 (738 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1364 (202 pts)	#1129 (297 pts)	#1506 (187 pts)	#937 (407 pts)	#1168 (277 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#579 (635 pts)	#549 (710 pts)	#806 (450 pts)	#340 (1025 pts)	#539 (695 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#752 (458 pts)	#778 (473 pts)	#945 (378 pts)	#917 (393 pts)	#484 (773 pts)