Happy hunting ground
Top 18%
average finish here
Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) is their spot: an average finish in the top 18% across 2 visits.
- 2 visits
- best finish 7th
- average top 18%
Sugba Smokehouse
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1585
peak 1585 · rated over 14 contests ⓘ
Best runs
4
straight top-10s
Contests
15
in the data
First seen
2022-09-09
latest 2026-08-28
Best ToY finish
#67
Backyard 2024
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
8 podiums
Overall top-10s
10
of 15 contests
Avg finish
top 36%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
343.06 ▼
last 5 Backyard vs avg 349.23 (-6.16)
Walk rate
73%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
4
best run (overall)
Consistency
±38.47
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 170.42 · weakest Pork (163.20)
Road miles
2,213
mi across 15 mapped stops · furthest 351 mi
Schedule strength
39%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1551)
Purse competed for
$68K
listed at 13 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 4 state-championship entries
Backyard avg
349.23 / 360
15 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Storylines (8 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
73%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 11 of 15 contests
A top-10 category call in 73% of their 15 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
High-water mark
490.1488
career-best overall
136.2% of a perfect 360
Their best day on record: 490.1488 at Bar-B-QC (Backyard) — 136.2% of a perfect 360.
- Backyard
- 2022-09-09
A tough matchup
6–0
behind in the head-to-head
WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ has come out ahead in 6 of their 6 shared contests.
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
309 BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
Boom or bust
±10.69%
swing around their own average
Their overall swings ±10.69% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.
- averages 97.0% of a perfect score
- best 136.2%
An August team
Top 23%
average finish in August
Something about August: average finish in the top 23% across 4 contests, versus top 36% the rest of the year.
- 4 August contests
- top 36% the rest of the year
A standing appointment
4
years running at one contest
They've cooked Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) every year from 2023 to 2026 — the contest they never miss.
- 4 visits in all
- best finish 3rd
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.
30 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1208 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1585
5–0 in 5 shared contests (100% to Sugba Smokehouse)
These two have cooked 5 of the same contests — Sugba Smokehouse ahead 5–0 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#1203 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 40%
- Peak
- 1586
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 15 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1206 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 52%
- Peak
- 1585
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 21 contests to 15, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#1200 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 52%
- Peak
- 1591
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2022, 4 years before Sugba Smokehouse's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#1199 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 54%
- Peak
- 1599
No shared contest yet.
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 24 contests, alongside a 54% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#1207 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 41%
- Peak
- 1598
No shared contest yet.
They were already cooking in 2013, 9 years before Sugba Smokehouse's first contest.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rudes BBQ | 12 | 5 | 7 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| 309 BBQ | 10 | 8 | 2 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| All Smoked Up BBQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Skinny Pig BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Shmack Q | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Sermerstout BBQ | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Firehouse 51 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| RUBY CREEK BBQ | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| SmoQued On Main St | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| E SQUARED BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ MIKE | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| T Daddys BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Can Country Outlaw BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 15 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 178.8572 | 155.4400 | 170.42 | top 34% |
| Pork Ribs | 15 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 176.5716 | 163.3944 | 168.52 | top 40% |
| Pork | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 171.4172 | 154.2056 | 163.20 | top 66% |
| Brisket | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
“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 | 9 | 0 | top 26% |
| IA | 3 | 0 | top 60% |
| WI | 2 | 0 | top 38% |
| TN | 1 | 0 | top 51% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 4 | 0 | top 43% |
| Medium (20–39) | 5 | 0 | top 25% |
| Large (40+) | 6 | 0 | top 42% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) | 4 | 3 | 0 | top 23% | 2026-08-28 |
| Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 18% | 2026-06-19 |
The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
4 yrs
2022-09-09 → 2026-08-28
Busiest season
2024
5 contests
Contests a season
3
across 5 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
IL
9 of 15 contests · 4 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
11
2 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
15 entries · 1 win · 9 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 170.42 · weakest Pork (163.20)
Walk rate
73%
a top-10 call in 11 of 15 contests
Overall top-10 rate
67%
10 of 15 contests
Best top-10 run
4
straight contests
Backyard average
349.23
out of 360 · 15 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
363
346–270 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
2,213
15 mapped stops · furthest 351 mi
Schedule strength
1551
average field rating faced — tougher than 39% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$67,500
listed at 13 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 4 state-championship entries
Power rating
1585
peak 1585 · #1204 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2022
- First tracked contest Bar-B-QC (Backyard)
- First call Bar-B-QC (Backyard)
- First overall top-10 Bar-B-QC (Backyard)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score490.1488 Bar-B-QC (Backyard)
- Career-best overall score490.1488 Bar-B-QC (Backyard)
- 2023
- First overall podium Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 2024
- First category win (Chicken) Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 2025
- 10th tracked contest 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025)
- Career-best single call (Chicken)178.8572 Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 2026
- Peak power rating (1585) Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Most recent contest Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +13.9 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2023-08-25 |
| +11.5 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2024-08-23 |
| +11.1 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2023-06-10 |
| +10.7 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2026-06-19 |
| +10.6 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2024-07-12 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -6.9 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | 2024-03-29 |
| -3.5 | Bar-B-QC (Backyard) | 2022-09-09 |
| -0.8 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2023-06-09 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 24% | 96.7% | 96% |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 37% | 96.8% | 94.5% |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 80% | top 38% | 96.8% | 94.2% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 67% | top 29% | 95.9% | 92.7% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 69% | 136.2% | 136.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-28 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 5 / 16 (342.8572) | 2 (173.7028) | 7 (169.1544) | — | — |
| 2026-06-19 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 7 / 41 (347.9888) | 16 (171.4172) | 5 (176.5716) | — | — |
| 2025-08-22 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 11 / 31 (343.3944) | 2 (178.8572) | 18 (164.5372) | — | — |
| 2025-06-27 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL | 11 / 26 (332.5028) | 12 (167.4056) | 15 (165.0972) | — | — |
| 2025-06-20 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 7 / 36 (348.5716) | 11 (174.2744) | 10 (174.2972) | — | — |
| 2025-05-25 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 36 / 70 (336.5144) | 28 (170.8344) | 39 (165.6800) | — | — |
| 2024-08-23 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 4 / 28 (346.3088) | 1 (176.5600) | 9 (169.7488) | — | — |
| 2024-07-12 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) Miles, IA | 3 / 11 (348.5832) | 3 (176.5716) | 4 (172.0116) | 8 (163.9656) | — |
| 2024-06-14 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 9 / 40 (338.2516) | 3 (174.8572) | 25 (163.3944) | — | — |
| 2024-06-08 | 1st Annual Hy-Vee Ribs & Rides (BBQ Challenge and Car Show) (BACKYARD ONLY) Sycamore, IL | 4 / 9 (334.2628) | 3 (167.9884) | 5 (166.2744) | 3 (171.4172) | — |
| 2024-03-29 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 35 / 42 (327.9312) | 44 (157.6456) | 11 (170.2856) | — | — |
| 2023-08-25 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 3 / 26 (345.1200) | 6 (171.4172) | 3 (173.7028) | — | — |
| 2023-06-10 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 9 / 40 (334.8456) | 6 (169.6684) | 11 (165.1772) | — | — |
| 2023-06-09 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 23 / 43 (321.1200) | 25 (155.4400) | 12 (165.6800) | — | — |
| 2022-09-09 | Bar-B-QC (Backyard) Davenport, IA | 9 / 13 (490.1488) | 8 (169.6916) | 9 (166.2516) | 12 (154.2056) | — |
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 | #126 (331 pts) | #129 (346 pts) | #136 (331 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #118 (468 pts) | #107 (558 pts) | #154 (383 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #67 (803 pts) | #36 (993 pts) | #88 (673 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #139 (384 pts) | #139 (464 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #243 (133 pts) | #252 (123 pts) | — | — |