The heartbreaker
4.5828
points from the title
Came within 4.5828 points of the Grand Championship at Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 2 (May 4, 2024).
T & S BBQ
T & S BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 49 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. They have won 4 Grand Championships, most recently at the Smoke on the Mountain (2023), and finished Reserve Grand Champion 6 times. They are ranked #319 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “T'S BBQ” and “T&S BBQ”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1719
peak 1729 · rated over 39 contests7 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
49
in the data
First seen
Apr 26, 2013
latest Aug 21, 2026 · 13.3 years on the trail
Grand champs
4
6 reserve · wins it all 8% of the time
Category wins
8
32 podiums
Overall top-10s
26
53% of 49 contests
Best top-10 run
15
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 35%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
343.29 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 340.15 (+3.13)
Walk rate
80%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±10.66
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 169.92 · weakest Brisket (163.60)
Road miles
6,246
across 49 mapped stops · furthest 956 mi
Schedule strength
75%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1595)
Purse competed for
$211K
listed at 29 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
4 🏅
won from 30 state-championship entries
Master avg
660.17 / 720
15 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
340.15 / 360
22 Backyard contests · 2 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
505.82 / 540
4 Backyard (3-meat) contests · 2 GCs
Backyard (4-meat) avg
662.76 / 720
2 Backyard (4-meat) contests · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540, Backyard (4-meat) out of 720), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
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)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #140 (306 pts) | #99 (517 pts) | #153 (291 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | — | #818 (151 pts) | — | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #107 (503 pts) | #94 (598 pts) | #91 (678 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #566 (295 pts) | #642 (280 pts) | #461 (505 pts) | #619 (270 pts) | #612 (270 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #86 (705 pts) | #74 (780 pts) | #128 (435 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #8 (1,256 pts) | #31 (1,109 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1255 (60 pts) | #1319 (60 pts) | #1432 (60 pts) | #825 (175 pts) | #1296 (60 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #78 (624 pts) | #87 (559 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #1125 (105 pts) | #827 (200 pts) | #1240 (100 pts) | #1046 (120 pts) | #1213 (90 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #69 (565 pts) | #76 (440 pts) | — | — |
| 2020 ↗ | Backyard | — | #105 (78 pts) | #103 (73 pts) | — | — |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1284 (174 pts) | #1579 (124 pts) | #1309 (179 pts) | #922 (324 pts) | #1332 (174 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #2158 (60 pts) | #2209 (60 pts) | #2209 (60 pts) | #2225 (60 pts) | #2214 (60 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #581 (533 pts) | #604 (543 pts) | #666 (498 pts) | #401 (793 pts) | #509 (628 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to T & S BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
#320 of the rated field
- Contests
- 51
- GCs
- 4
- Top-10s
- 65%
- Peak
- 1759
1–2 in 3 shared contests (33% to T & S BBQ)
These two have cooked 3 of the same contests — Weber's Backyard BBQ ahead 2–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#322 of the rated field
- Contests
- 135
- GCs
- 4
- Top-10s
- 38%
- Peak
- 1720
2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to T & S BBQ)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 126 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#321 of the rated field
- Contests
- 41
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 59%
- Peak
- 1720
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before T & S BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#318 of the rated field
- Contests
- 73
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 41%
- Peak
- 1725
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 73 contests to 49.
⚔ Compare careers#323 of the rated field
- Contests
- 227
- GCs
- 26
- Top-10s
- 65%
- Peak
- 1903
0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to T & S BBQ)
Their rating is built on 26 Grand Championships in 227 contests, alongside a 65% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#315 of the rated field
- Contests
- 44
- GCs
- 4
- Top-10s
- 61%
- Peak
- 1721
They turned up 8 years after T & S BBQ did, first appearing in 2021.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POOR BOYS BBQ | 23 | 13 | 8 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Dogpatch Q | 20 | 14 | 6 | 70% | ⚔ compare |
| CHUNKY BBQ | 18 | 10 | 7 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Optimus Swine | 17 | 13 | 4 | 76% | ⚔ compare |
| MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | 17 | 8 | 7 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 16 | 9 | 7 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | 16 | 8 | 8 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Bowmans Butt & BBQ | 15 | 9 | 5 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Full Throttle BBQ | 14 | 8 | 6 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Under the Radar | 14 | 5 | 7 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | 13 | 11 | 2 | 85% | ⚔ compare |
| Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | 13 | 9 | 3 | 69% | ⚔ compare |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 13 | 8 | 4 | 62% | ⚔ compare |
| D’Qued Barbeque | 12 | 4 | 5 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Off The Rack BBQ | 12 | 4 | 7 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 45 | 31 | 5 | 17 | 180 🔥 | 149.0628 | 169.92 | top 37% |
| Pork Ribs | 44 | 23 | 3 | 6 | 178.8572 | 151.3944 | 165.81 | top 44% |
| Pork | 22 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 177.1428 | 159.3828 | 168.04 | top 40% |
| Brisket | 17 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 178.8572 | 148.5714 | 163.60 | top 58% |
“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) | 14 | 2 | top 27% |
| Medium (20–39) | 21 | 2 | top 36% |
| Large (40+) | 8 | 0 | top 44% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marietta River City BBQ (OPEN FORMAT) | 5 | 2 | 0 | top 32% | Apr 24, 2026 |
| Smoke on the Mountain | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 9% | Jul 25, 2025 |
| 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) | 2 | 16 | 0 | top 47% | May 25, 2025 |
| Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 12% | May 4, 2024 |
| Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 11% | May 3, 2024 |
| Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 26% | Sep 9, 2023 |
| Revolutionary BBQ Brawl - Battle on the James (Day 2) | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 28% | Apr 29, 2023 |
| Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival | 2 | 22 | 0 | top 79% | Oct 18, 2019 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2023
11 contests · 2 GCs
Contests a season
3.8
across 13 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
VA
10 of 49 contests · 10 states in all
Contests visited
31
8 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
45 entries · 5 wins · 31 calls
First title
Apr 22, 2022
Downtown BBQ Throwdown
Opponents faced
736
finished ahead 1,093 times, behind 584
Longest layoff
1.5 yrs
Oct 20, 2017 → Apr 26, 2019
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Peak power rating (1729) Almost Heaven BBQ Bash (OPEN FORMAT)
- Most recent contest Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff
20251 milestone
- Career-best overall score691.9428 Marietta River City BBQ
20241 milestone
- First Reserve Championship Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1
20233 milestones
- First multi-meat day WV Hunting Heroes BBQ Throwdown
- 25th tracked contest Revolutionary BBQ Brawl - Battle on the James (Day 1)
- Biggest field won (38 teams) Smoke on the Mountain
20225 milestones
- First overall podium Downtown BBQ Throwdown
- First Grand Championship Downtown BBQ Throwdown
- First state championship Downtown BBQ Throwdown
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship 2022
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL
20161 milestone
- 10th tracked contest Valley Music Fest BBQ Cookoff
20134 milestones
- First tracked contest Smokin' in the Ozarks
- First call Smokin' in the Ozarks
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.7140 Smokin' in the Ozarks
- First overall top-10 Bikes Balloons & BBQ
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.8 | Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship 2022 | Jul 21, 2022 |
| +16.6 | Downtown BBQ Throwdown | Apr 22, 2022 |
| +14.9 | Smoke on the Mountain | Jul 21, 2023 |
| +14.3 | WV Hunting Heroes BBQ Throwdown | Apr 21, 2023 |
| +13 | Country Roads BBQ Clash Day 1 | Jul 16, 2021 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.9 | Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff | Aug 21, 2026 |
| -7.6 | 14th Annual Bordertown Bash | Jul 10, 2015 |
| -7.5 | Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival | Oct 20, 2017 |
| -5.5 | Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival | Oct 18, 2019 |
| -4.9 | Smokin' Summer Kick-off | Jun 5, 2015 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 75% | top 30% | 93.6% | 92.3% |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 50% | top 29% | 97.3% | 95.9% |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 100% | top 7% | 97% | 95.8% |
| 2023 | 11 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 100% | top 24% | 98% | 95% |
| 2022 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 100% | top 27% | 96.5% | 94.6% |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 100% | top 24% | 94.9% | 90.8% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 48% | 87.4% | 87.4% |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 66% | 90.7% | 90.6% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 79% | 88.8% | 88.8% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 64% | 91.3% | 91.3% |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 81% | 89.5% | 87.9% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
| 2013 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 48% | 93.3% | 92% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Edinburg, VA | 18 / 26 (334.2288) | 10 (171.9772) | 21 (162.2516) | — | — |
| Jun 19, 2026 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 Buckhannon, WV | 2 / 29 (651.2684) | 19 (168.5372) | 32 (152.5256) | 27 (159.3828) | 13 (170.8228) |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Marietta River City BBQ (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 Marietta, OH | 2 / 15 (674.2516) | 7 (171.4172) | 6 (171.4172) | 4 (173.1428) | 14 (158.2744) |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Marietta River City BBQ (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Marietta, OH | — | 6 (171.9772) | — | — | — |
| Jul 25, 2025 | Smoke on the Mountain 🏅 Galax, VA | 5 / 37 (345.6916) | 1 (179.4400) | 8 (166.2516) | — | — |
| Jun 6, 2025 | WV Coalfields Cookoff WV KCBS State Championship 🏅 Welch, WV | 2 / 11 (350.2744) | 4 (173.1316) | 2 (177.1428) | 2 (170.2628) | — |
| May 25, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 16 / 70 (345.1088) | 19 (171.9772) | 17 (173.1316) | — | — |
| May 24, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Saturday, May 24, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 75 / 106 (679.3028) | 92 (167.3944) | 81 (168.5372) | 62 (170.2628) | 42 (173.1084) |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Anything Molasses (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Chicken (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | 39 (166.2628) | — | — | — |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Ribs (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | 4 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Apr 25, 2025 | Marietta River City BBQ 🏅 Marietta, OH | 2 / 10 (691.9428) | 5 (170.8228) | 2 (174.2972) | 3 (171.9772) | 3 (174.8456) |
| Jul 26, 2024 | Smoke on the Mountain 🏅 Galax, VA | 3 / 32 (341.1316) | 1 (178.8572) | 8 (162.2744) | — | — |
| May 4, 2024 | Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 2 🏅 Kannapolis, NC | 2 / 35 (343.9544) | 1 (178.8572) | 8 (165.0972) | — | — |
| May 3, 2024 | Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 🏅 Kannapolis, NC | 2 / 45 (349.1316) | 2 (176.5600) | 6 (172.5716) | — | — |
| Oct 28, 2023 | Zom-B-Q (Day 2) 🏅 Galax, VA | 6 / 17 (329.0972) | 2 (167.3944) | 12 (161.7028) | — | — |
| Oct 27, 2023 | Nightmare before Zom-B-Q (Day 1) 🏅 Galax, VA | 10 / 19 (321.0172) | 3 (168.5372) | 13 (152.4800) | — | — |
| Sep 9, 2023 | Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) 🏅 Mannington, WV | 3 / 11 (347.9772) | 3 (174.2628) | 3 (173.7144) | — | — |
| Sep 8, 2023 | Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown (Day 1) 🏅 Mannington, WV | 3 / 12 (342.8000) | 2 (173.1200) | 4 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Jul 21, 2023 | Smoke on the Mountain 🏅 Galax, VA | 1 / 38 (349.7032) | 1 (176.5716) | 1 (173.1316) | — | — |
| Jun 9, 2023 | WV Coalfields Cookoff 🏅 Welch, WV | 4 / 16 (509.6688) | 2 (173.1316) | 7 (169.1200) | 5 (167.4172) | — |
| May 6, 2023 | Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 2 🏅 Kannapolis, NC | 4 / 23 (344.5488) | 5 (173.1200) | 4 (171.4288) | — | — |
| May 5, 2023 | Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 🏅 Kannapolis, NC | 6 / 35 (350.2744) | 8 (174.2744) | 4 (176) | — | — |
| Apr 29, 2023 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl - Battle on the James (Day 2) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 4 / 19 (345.0972) | 5 (174.2628) | 5 (170.8344) | — | — |
| Apr 28, 2023 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl - Battle on the James (Day 1) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 7 / 20 (337.6572) | 10 (168.5256) | 7 (169.1316) | — | — |
| Apr 21, 2023 | WV Hunting Heroes BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Cottageville, WV | 1 / 15 (529.1544) | 1 (177.7144) | 1 (178.8572) | 3 (172.5828) | — |
| Nov 12, 2022 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Gadsden, AL | 14 / 49 (343.9656) | 2 (180) | 31 (163.9656) | — | — |
| Nov 11, 2022 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Gadsden, AL | 36 / 91 (682.7544) | 73 (166.2400) | 29 (171.9772) | 6 (177.1428) | 55 (167.3944) |
| Jul 21, 2022 | Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship 2022 🏅 Galax, VA | 1 / 25 (347.3828) | 3 (171.9656) | 1 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Jun 17, 2022 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Roanoke, WV | 6 / 20 (334.2288) | 4 (171.4172) | 8 (162.8116) | — | — |
| Apr 29, 2022 | Marietta River City BBQ 🏅 Marietta, OH | 14 / 25 (669.6344) | 4 (177.1428) | 15 (163.9772) | 11 (166.8344) | 17 (161.6800) |
| Apr 22, 2022 | Downtown BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Ripley, WV | 1 / 17 (512.5828) | 3 (170.2972) | 6 (169.1428) | 3 (173.1428) | — |
| Jul 17, 2021 | Country Roads BBQ Clash Day 2 🏅 Morgantown, WV | 5 / 15 (333.7716) | 3 (170.3200) | 9 (163.4516) | — | — |
| Jul 16, 2021 | Country Roads BBQ Clash Day 1 🏅 Morgantown, WV | 4 / 18 (341.7716) | 3 (174.3200) | 8 (167.4516) | — | — |
| Apr 23, 2021 | Marietta River City BBQ 🏅 Marietta, OH | 5 / 29 (304.5944) | 7 (153.2000) | 4 (151.3944) | — | — |
| Oct 30, 2020 | Zom-B-Q 🏅 Wytheville, VA | 16 / 33 (471.8860) | 19 (154.8344) | 20 (151.9316) | 8 (165.1200) | — |
| Oct 18, 2019 | Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival 🏅 Nelsonville, OH | 22 / 28 (653.0168) | 26 (159.4056) | 22 (158.2284) | 7 (170.8228) | 17 (164.5600) |
| Apr 26, 2019 | Marietta River City BBQ 🏅 Marietta, OH | 14 / 26 (651.3600) | 21 (161.1200) | 13 (164) | 6 (168.5828) | 19 (157.6572) |
| Oct 20, 2017 | Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival Nelsonville, OH | 31 / 39 (639.3028) | 19 (167.9772) | 36 (154.2172) | 29 (159.4056) | 31 (157.7028) |
| Aug 13, 2016 | Valley Music Fest BBQ Cookoff Russellville, AR | 18 / 28 (657.5888) | 3 (177.7144) | 15 (164.5600) | 19 (162.8344) | 23 (152.4800) |
| Jul 10, 2015 | 14th Annual Bordertown Bash Fort Smith, AR | 38 / 44 (620.9712) | 42 (149.0628) | 40 (153.1200) | 33 (161.1312) | 30 (157.6572) |
| Jun 5, 2015 | Smokin' Summer Kick-off Branson, MO | 13 / 17 (644.4116) | 16 (157.6572) | 15 (153.6916) | 13 (161.0972) | 3 (171.9656) |
| Sep 12, 2014 | Derby BBQ Festival Derby, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nov 1, 2013 | Cookin' on the Creek BBQ Cookoff Harrison, AR | 13 / 25 (663.2800) | 7 (174.8572) | 12 (165.6800) | 17 (162.2284) | 16 (160.5144) |
| Oct 18, 2013 | Bikes Balloons & BBQ Poteau, OK | 6 / 20 (671.9316) | 8 (171.4172) | 12 (161.0972) | 2 (174.8800) | 7 (164.5372) |
| Sep 20, 2013 | Bikes Blues & BBQ Fayetteville, AR | 20 / 49 (667.8972) | 34 (162.2628) | 36 (160.5372) | 22 (166.2400) | 3 (178.8572) |
| Sep 6, 2013 | National Bar-B-Que Derby Derby, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 20, 2013 | Rock'n Freedom Seymour, MO | 31 / 50 (659.4288) | 37 (162.2856) | 24 (165.7144) | 13 (170.8572) | 32 (160.5716) |
| Apr 26, 2013 | Smokin' in the Ozarks Rogers, AR | 19 / 34 (649.7140) | 17 (164.5714) | 13 (165.1426) | 3 (171.4286) | 31 (148.5714) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.