Happy hunting ground
Top 15%
average finish here
Cedar Fest BBQ is their spot: an average finish in the top 15% across 2 visits.
- 2 visits
- best finish 4th
- average top 15%
Panther Creek Cookers
Panther Creek Cookers is a competition barbecue team with 11 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 136 at the Humble Rodeo & BBQ ( WFC Qualifier) (2017). They are ranked #1182 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1588
peak 1588 · rated over 9 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
11
in the data
First seen
Feb 26, 2015
latest Apr 6, 2018 · 3.1 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
4
36% of 11 contests
Best top-10 run
3
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 30%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
673.99 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 667.21 (+6.78)
Walk rate
55%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±11.78
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 168.71 · weakest Pork Ribs (165.55)
Road miles
3,763
across 11 mapped stops · furthest 924 mi
Schedule strength
23%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1532)
Master avg
667.21 / 720
11 Master contests · 0 GCs
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #904 (390 pts) | #1139 (295 pts) | #1822 (120 pts) | #876 (445 pts) | #1261 (240 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1317 (210 pts) | #2353 (60 pts) | #1854 (125 pts) | #1872 (120 pts) | #2059 (110 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1167 (240 pts) | #1235 (245 pts) | #976 (355 pts) | #1118 (295 pts) | #1431 (180 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Panther Creek Cookers, each with one reason worth a look.
47 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,179 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 73%
- Peak
- 1590
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,190 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1588
Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 11, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,185 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1588
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 12 contests, alongside a 25% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#1,183 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 53%
- Peak
- 1588
They turned up 8 years after Panther Creek Cookers did, first appearing in 2023.
⚔ Compare careers#1,176 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 4
- Top-10s
- 70%
- Peak
- 1597
Level with Panther Creek Cookers on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#1,188 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1601
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 22 contests to 11.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| HONKY-TONK SMOKERS | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| LA PASADITA | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| CLARK CREW BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| JOE'S COOKSHACK | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| BUCKSHOT BBQ - TX | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| THE REPUBLIC OF 'QUE | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOT BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin Hot J's | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| OLD 99 MEAT CO. | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| BUTCHER BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| LoneStar Que Crew | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 175.4056 | 157.7028 | 166.95 | top 33% |
| Pork Ribs | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 172.5828 | 158.8800 | 165.55 | top 42% |
| Pork | 11 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 177.1544 | 159.9768 | 168.71 | top 30% |
| Brisket | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 177.7144 | 145.0512 | 166.00 | top 32% |
“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 field size and state
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 1 | 0 | top 26% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 0 | top 31% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 18% | Apr 6, 2018 |
| Shotgun Fred BBQ Showdown | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 34% | Feb 16, 2018 |
| Cedar Fest BBQ | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 15% | Apr 1, 2016 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2018
4 contests
Contests a season
2.8
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
TX
8 of 11 contests · 3 states in all
Contests visited
8
3 of them more than once
Opponents faced
1,051
finished ahead 1,023 times, behind 447
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20185 milestones
- 10th tracked contest Sonny's Smokin Showdown (INVITATIONAL ONLY)
- Career-best overall score685.0632 Sonny's Smokin Showdown (INVITATIONAL ONLY)
- Career-best single call (Brisket)177.7144 Sonny's Smokin Showdown (INVITATIONAL ONLY)
- Peak power rating (1588) Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off
- Most recent contest Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off
20171 milestone
- First overall podium Humble Rodeo & BBQ ( WFC Qualifier)
20161 milestone
- First overall top-10 Cedar Fest BBQ
20153 milestones
- First tracked contest Shotgun Fred BBQ Showdown
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score655.9544 Shotgun Fred BBQ Showdown
- First call Cedar Fest BBQ
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.8 | Cedar Fest BBQ | Apr 1, 2016 |
| +14.6 | Humble Rodeo & BBQ ( WFC Qualifier) | Feb 3, 2017 |
| +11.6 | Humble Rodeo and BBQ | Feb 2, 2018 |
| +10.7 | Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off | Mar 31, 2017 |
| +9.4 | Cedar Fest BBQ | Apr 10, 2015 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 75% | top 34% | 95.1% | 94% |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 7% | 95.1% | 93.5% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | top 6% | 91.1% | 91.1% |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25% | top 45% | 92.7% | 91.3% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 6, 2018 | Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off Cedar Park, TX | 17 / 69 (668.5140) | 34 (161.7028) | 10 (171.9656) | 26 (165.7256) | 12 (169.1200) |
| Mar 2, 2018 | Sonny's Smokin Showdown (INVITATIONAL ONLY) unrated Orlando, FL | 37 / 49 (685.0632) | 36 (167.3712) | 48 (162.8232) | 16 (177.1544) | 5 (177.7144) |
| Feb 16, 2018 | Shotgun Fred BBQ Showdown Huntsville, TX | 10 / 38 (678.1368) | 14 (169.6684) | 10 (171.9772) | 9 (170.2628) | 13 (166.2284) |
| Feb 2, 2018 | Humble Rodeo and BBQ Humble, TX | 12 / 145 (676.5256) | 21 (168.5600) | 32 (167.4400) | 16 (171.4056) | 22 (169.1200) |
| Mar 31, 2017 | Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off Cedar Park, TX | 8 / 70 (661.7028) | 25 (160.5828) | 29 (158.8800) | 2 (174.2628) | 11 (167.9772) |
| Feb 3, 2017 | Humble Rodeo & BBQ ( WFC Qualifier) Humble, TX | 3 / 136 (684.4684) | 3 (175.4056) | 71 (160.5372) | 5 (175.4172) | 15 (173.1084) |
| Apr 1, 2016 | Cedar Fest BBQ Cedar Park, TX | 4 / 67 (656.0112) | 31 (157.7028) | 12 (165.7256) | 13 (166.2856) | 15 (166.2972) |
| Oct 3, 2015 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO | 164 / 606 (667.3940) | 205 (167.4056) | 149 (169.1544) | 412 (159.9768) | 99 (170.8572) |
| Oct 2, 2015 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO | 165 / 187 (653.6340) | 34 (174.8572) | 165 (159.9656) | 137 (165.1084) | 181 (153.7028) |
| Apr 10, 2015 | Cedar Fest BBQ Cedar Park, TX | 13 / 53 (651.8624) | 12 (166.2628) | 3 (172.5828) | 6 (167.9656) | 43 (145.0512) |
| Feb 26, 2015 | Shotgun Fred BBQ Showdown Huntsville, TX | 25 / 61 (655.9544) | 15 (166.8800) | 41 (159.9888) | 30 (162.2628) | 17 (166.8228) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.