On the rise
+38
rating points in a year
Their power rating has climbed 38 points across 8 contests since Sep 28, 2025 — from 1464 up to 1502.
- 8 contests since Sep 28, 2025
- now 1502
Squeals like the First Time
Squeals like the First Time is a competition barbecue team with 17 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2024 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 5th of 16 at the First State BBQ Bash (BACKYARD SUNDAY) (2026). They are ranked #3144 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1502
peak 1502 · rated over 17 contests
Contests
17
in the data
First seen
Jun 28, 2024
latest Sep 27, 2026 · 2.2 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
2
12% of 17 contests
Avg finish
top 69%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
338.58 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 324.95 (+13.63)
Walk rate
35%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±13.05
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 162.61 · weakest Pork Ribs (161.58)
Road miles
718
across 17 mapped stops · furthest 171 mi
Schedule strength
74%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1594)
Purse competed for
$67K
listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 15 state-championship entries
Backyard avg
324.95 / 360
17 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Squeals like the First Time, each with one reason worth a look.
113 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#3,145 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1510
Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 10 years before Squeals like the First Time's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#3,150 of the rated field
- Contests
- 23
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1502
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 22 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#3,147 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 21%
- Peak
- 1550
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 24 contests to 17.
⚔ Compare careers#3,138 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1504
They were already cooking in 2013, 11 years before Squeals like the First Time's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#3,137 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1508
Level with Squeals like the First Time on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#3,156 of the rated field
- Contests
- 30
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 13%
- Peak
- 1524
30 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 13% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All About the Wood | 16 | 4 | 11 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| Castleton Q | 16 | 3 | 13 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| Capt. Blue BBQ | 16 | 2 | 14 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| FIRE & SHINE BBQ | 16 | 1 | 15 | 6% | ⚔ compare |
| Oink N' Doink BBQ | 16 | 1 | 15 | 6% | ⚔ compare |
| Backwooder BBQ | 15 | 5 | 10 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Leaning Jowler BBQ | 15 | 1 | 14 | 7% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 13 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| Rough Cut Q | 12 | 3 | 9 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| MRC_Barbecue | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | 12 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| Estancia | 11 | 9 | 2 | 82% | ⚔ compare |
| Bay Brothers BBQ | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| DRILLING & GRILLING | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| Better Half Barbecue | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 16 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 176.5600 | 152.5256 | 162.61 | top 68% |
| Pork Ribs | 17 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 175.4172 | 138.7888 | 161.58 | top 70% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 4 | 0 | top 93% |
| Medium (20–39) | 12 | 0 | top 64% |
| Large (40+) | 1 | 0 | top 33% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 6 | 13 | 0 | top 60% | Jul 25, 2026 |
| York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 5 | 10 | 0 | top 100% | Jun 13, 2026 |
| First State BBQ Bash (BACKYARD SUNDAY) | 4 | 5 | 0 | top 52% | Sep 27, 2026 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
7 contests
Contests a season
5.7
across 3 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
PA
11 of 17 contests · 3 states in all
Contests visited
5
3 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
17 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls
Opponents faced
212
finished ahead 284 times, behind 510
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20265 milestones
- First overall top-10 York County BBQ Festival (Day 2)
- Career-best single call (Chicken)176.5600 York County BBQ Festival (Day 2)
- Career-best overall score341.1088 Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2)
- Peak power rating (1502) First State BBQ Bash (BACKYARD SUNDAY)
- Most recent contest First State BBQ Bash (BACKYARD SUNDAY)
20253 milestones
- First call York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score326.2060 York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)
- 10th tracked contest First State BBQ Bash (SUNDAY BACKYARD ONLY)
20241 milestone
- First tracked contest York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +13.9 | First State BBQ Bash (BACKYARD SUNDAY) | Sep 27, 2026 |
| +9.7 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) | Jul 24, 2026 |
| +9.3 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) | Jul 25, 2026 |
| +5.3 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) | Jul 25, 2025 |
| +4.6 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) | Jun 13, 2026 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.6 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) | Jun 28, 2024 |
| -11.6 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) | Jul 26, 2024 |
| -8.1 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) | Jun 28, 2025 |
| -6.7 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) | Jul 27, 2024 |
| -5.9 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) | Jun 12, 2026 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 57% | top 50% | 94.8% | 93.1% |
| 2025 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 84% | 94.1% | 90.2% |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 81% | 87.1% | 85.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | First State BBQ Bash (BACKYARD SUNDAY) Milford, DE | 5 / 16 (341.0972) | 5 (172.5600) | 9 (168.5372) | — | — |
| Sep 25, 2026 | First State BBQ Bash 🏅 Milford, DE | 14 / 39 (329.6344) | 9 (167.9656) | 14 (161.6688) | — | — |
| Jul 25, 2026 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 13 / 39 (341.1088) | — | 21 (165.6916) | — | — |
| Jul 24, 2026 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 14 / 43 (339.9544) | 14 (170.8228) | 14 (169.1316) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2026 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 10 / 13 (341.0972) | 2 (176.5600) | 20 (164.5372) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 20 / 25 (323.3828) | 19 (161.6684) | 21 (161.7144) | — | — |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 12 / 20 (329.6800) | 10 (166.2628) | 14 (163.4172) | — | — |
| Sep 28, 2025 | First State BBQ Bash (SUNDAY BACKYARD ONLY) Milford, DE | 12 / 14 (322.7772) | 14 (158.8000) | 12 (163.9772) | — | — |
| Sep 26, 2025 | First State BBQ Bash 🏅 Milford, DE | 14 / 25 (314.1828) | 16 (152.5256) | 13 (161.6572) | — | — |
| Jul 26, 2025 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 18 / 27 (329.6688) | 15 (167.9772) | 18 (161.6916) | — | — |
| Jul 25, 2025 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 16 / 30 (338.8344) | 28 (163.4172) | 3 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Jun 28, 2025 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 18 / 10 (317.0520) | 18 (155.3716) | 15 (161.6804) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 16 / 26 (326.2060) | 19 (158.8116) | 7 (167.3944) | — | — |
| Sep 27, 2024 | "The First State" BBQ Bash 🏅 Milford, DE | 13 / 26 (313.7032) | 12 (161.1316) | 14 (152.5716) | — | — |
| Jul 27, 2024 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 24 / 32 (305.5888) | 21 (156.5372) | 23 (149.0516) | — | — |
| Jul 26, 2024 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 35 / 35 (313.6572) | 36 (153.6800) | 32 (159.9772) | — | — |
| Jun 28, 2024 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 29 / 29 (296.4688) | 25 (157.6800) | 30 (138.7888) | — | — |