SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM

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

Power ranking

#1178

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1587

peak 1587 · rated over 28 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2016-05-27

latest 2022-09-29

Best ToY finish

#153

Master 2022

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

7 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 29 contests

Avg finish

top 47%

overall standings

Best overall

701.0856 / 720

Master · Delta Smoke BBQ Contest

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

681.16 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 672.33 (+8.84)

Walk rate

79%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Pork · 39th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off

Consistency

±14.13

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 169.81 · weakest Pork Ribs (165.94)

Road miles

4,704

mi across 29 mapped stops · furthest 337 mi

Schedule strength

75%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1596)

Purse competed for

$251K

listed at 19 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 20 state-championship entries

Master avg

672.33 / 720

29 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.

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180s

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork.

Pork ×1

On the rise

+43 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 43 points across 14 contests since 2021-10-22 — from 1544 up to 1587.

14 contests since 2021-10-22
now 1587

They almost always walk

79% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 23 of 29 contests

A top-10 category call in 79% of their 29 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

701.0856 career-best overall

97.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 701.0856 at Delta Smoke BBQ Contest — 97.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
2022-06-10

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Smokin Through The Night has finished one call ahead of SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

15–2 behind in the head-to-head

RAZORRACKS ahead in 88% of their meetings

RAZORRACKS has come out ahead in 15 of their 17 shared contests.

A strong matchup

8–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 89% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of K & K KOOKERS in 8 of their 9 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

13 of 17 shared pork entries lost

RAZORRACKS ahead 76% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, RAZORRACKS has out-cooked them in 13 of 17 shared pork entries.

An August team

Top 36% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 36% across 5 contests, versus top 47% the rest of the year.

5 August contests
top 47% the rest of the year

The long haul

4,704 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,704 miles across 29 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 337 miles to *RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 1).

29 mapped stops
furthest 337 mi

The metronome

±1.96% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.96% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.4% of a perfect score
29 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.

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

T-Squared BBQ

#1183 of the rated field

1587 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1588

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2024-10-30

⚔ Head-to-head

UNFAMOUS DAVE'S

#1176 of the rated field

1587 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 130
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1725

2–1 in 3 shared contests (67% to SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM)

They've been 1725 at their best, 137 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 122 contests
last seen 2026-08-21

⚔ Head-to-head

REED BOYZ BBQ

#1181 of the rated field

1587 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 32%
Peak: 1605

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 4 years before SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 28 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

BUCKNER BROTHERS BBQ

#1185 of the rated field

1587 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1618

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 26 contests to 29, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 26 contests
last seen 2018-07-28

⚔ Head-to-head

SKYY FULL OF SMOKE

#1179 of the rated field

1587 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1587

No shared contest yet.

24 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 4% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 24 contests
last seen 2021-09-24

⚔ Head-to-head

KEEP CALM AND BLAZE ON

#1187 of the rated field

1587 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 48%
Peak: 1587

No shared contest yet.

Level with SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2017-09-22

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
RAZORRACKS	17	2	15	12%	⚔ compare
MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
JANKY LEG BBQ	14	2	12	14%	⚔ compare
Kermit's Ex	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
SmokinGhost BBQ	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
Heavy Smoke BBQ	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
Piggin' Whiskey	12	4	8	33%	⚔ compare
FIRE DANCER BBQ	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
TRIPLE H BBQ	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
Kith n' Kin	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
K & K KOOKERS	9	8	1	89%	⚔ compare
QUE-N-BREW	9	5	4	56%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	29	6	2	3	179.4400	158.2400	168.65	top 46%
Pork Ribs	29	8	0	0	174.2744	153.6572	165.94	top 53%
Pork	29	12	2	3	180.0000 🔥	159.3716	169.81	top 38%
Brisket	29	11	0	1	177.7028	155.9428	167.93	top 44%

“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
MO	11	top 40%
TN	6	top 56%
AR	4	top 47%
KS	3	top 47%
IL	3	top 54%
MS	2	top 41%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 23%
Medium (20–39)	16	top 51%
Large (40+)	12	top 42%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
*Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest	3	11	top 34%	2018-08-17
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST	2	223	top 47%	2022-09-29
Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest	2	11	top 38%	2021-08-20
*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2)	2	14	top 50%	2018-05-26

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 6.3 yrs 2016-05-27 → 2022-09-29

Busiest season 2022 14 contests

Contests a season 4.1 across 7 seasons in the data

Cooks most in MO 11 of 29 contests · 6 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 24 4 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 29 entries · 2 wins · 6 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 169.81 · weakest Pork Ribs (165.94)

Walk rate 79% a top-10 call in 23 of 29 contests

Overall top-10 rate 14% 4 of 29 contests

Master average 672.33 out of 720 · 29 contests · 0 GCs

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 1,068 1,076–1,073 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 4,704 29 mapped stops · furthest 337 mi

Schedule strength 1596 average field rating faced — tougher than 75% of rated contests

Purse competed for $250,550 listed at 19 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 20 state-championship entries

Power rating 1587 peak 1587 · #1178 of 6,413 rated

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

2016
May 27 First tracked contest 35th Annual Kennett Jaycee's Show Me State BBQ Cook off
May 27 First call 35th Annual Kennett Jaycee's Show Me State BBQ Cook off
May 27 First overall past 90% of a perfect score665.6116 35th Annual Kennett Jaycee's Show Me State BBQ Cook off
2017
May 5 First category win (Pork) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
2020
Jun 19 10th tracked contest Desoto Shrine Club 12th Annual BBQ Cook-Off
2021
May 1 First overall top-10 39th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off
May 1 First perfect 180 (Pork) 39th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off
2022
May 6 First overall podium 40th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off
Jun 10 25th tracked contest Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
Jun 10 Career-best overall score701.0856 Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
Sep 29 Peak power rating (1587) American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST
Sep 29 Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.6	39th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off	2021-05-01
+12.9	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest	2022-06-10
+12.2	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2)	2018-05-26
+11.9	Smoke on The Shores	2022-03-18
+10.9	40th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off	2022-05-06

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.7	Esperanza Bonanza	2021-10-22
-7.3	2nd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 1	2022-05-13
-6	2nd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 2	2022-05-14
-5.4	American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST	2021-09-16
-4.4	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 1)	2018-05-25

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	14	3	2	86%	top 47%	97.4%	94.4%
2021	5	1	1	60%	top 49%	96%	93.7%
2020	1	0	0	100%	top 38%	95.5%	95.5%
2019	1	0	0	0%	top 36%	92.9%	92.9%
2018	3	0	0	67%	top 47%	93.4%	91.2%
2017	3	0	1	100%	top 58%	91.4%	90.8%
2016	2	0	0	100%	top 30%	92.4%	92%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2022-09-29	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST unrated Kansas City, KS	117 / 249 (682.2284)	97 (172.5828)	180 (167.3828)	71 (173.1428)	131 (169.1200)
2022-09-29	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	223 / 505 (671.8396)	50 (176.5600)	423 (158.7884)	263 (166.8228)	155 (169.6684)
2022-09-23	Downtown Jonesboro BarBQ Festival 🏅 Jonesboro, AR	12 / 33 (679.3828)	1 (178.8572)	20 (165.1084)	12 (171.4400)	13 (163.9772)
2022-07-22	EffingHAM-JAM 🏅 Effingham, IL	15 / 25 (671.2796)	24 (158.7884)	10 (171.4056)	4 (171.9656)	12 (169.1200)
2022-06-10	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR	6 / 33 (701.0856)	5 (177.1428)	9 (174.2744)	9 (174.2628)	6 (175.4056)
2022-06-03	Covington World's Oldest Barbeque Festival 🏅 Covington, TN	15 / 28 (672.4456)	18 (162.2516)	12 (170.2628)	15 (167.9656)	9 (171.9656)
2022-05-14	2nd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 2 🏅 Union City, TN	19 / 23 (678.2168)	6 (175.4400)	16 (170.2628)	21 (160.5484)	10 (171.9656)
2022-05-13	2nd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 1 🏅 Union City, TN	21 / 25 (664.4340)	19 (166.2400)	6 (170.8228)	22 (161.1428)	18 (166.2284)
2022-05-06	40th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Kennett, MO	3 / 13 (698.8456)	1 (179.4400)	6 (171.4172)	4 (176.5828)	8 (171.4056)
2022-04-22	Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS	16 / 36 (678.7312)	13 (172.5716)	25 (164.5256)	15 (168.5256)	10 (173.1084)
2022-04-01	Smokin' For Down Syndrome 🏅 Collierville, TN	9 / 28 (688.5028)	5 (176.5716)	9 (171.4172)	14 (167.9656)	9 (172.5484)
2022-03-26	Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 2 🏅 St. Robert, MO	20 / 39 (673.0168)	15 (172.5484)	9 (171.4172)	31 (162.7884)	28 (166.2628)
2022-03-25	Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 1 🏅 St. Robert, MO	22 / 38 (663.8856)	19 (167.4400)	4 (170.8344)	31 (160.5256)	25 (165.0856)
2022-03-18	Smoke on The Shores 🏅 Lebanon, TN	14 / 63 (687.8740)	27 (170.8228)	36 (167.3828)	21 (171.9656)	4 (177.7028)
2021-10-22	Esperanza Bonanza 🏅 Marion, AR	20 / 27 (671.8628)	19 (162.8116)	18 (168.5484)	12 (173.1200)	18 (167.3828)
2021-09-16	American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	232 / 467 (662.7884)	280 (163.4060)	181 (168.5140)	134 (168.6172)	264 (162.2512)
2021-09-03	Smithfield Classic in Nashville 🏅 Nashville, TN	32 / 50 (679.3028)	28 (169.6800)	37 (168.5372)	10 (175.4056)	41 (165.6800)
2021-08-20	Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest 🏅 Cape Girardeau, MO	11 / 27 (668.4568)	16 (162.2628)	6 (171.4172)	6 (170.2628)	14 (164.5140)
2021-05-01	39th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Kennett, MO	5 / 32 (691.3256)	17 (167.3944)	14 (168.5256)	1 (180.0000)	2 (175.4056)
2020-06-19	Desoto Shrine Club 12th Annual BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Hernando, MS	18 / 47 (687.3024)	33 (166.8112)	20 (171.9656)	15 (171.9656)	5 (176.5600)
2019-08-16	Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest 🏅 Cape Girardeau, MO	16 / 45 (669.0856)	12 (170.8800)	28 (159.3828)	17 (168.0000)	13 (170.8228)
2018-08-17	*Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest Cape Girardeau, MO	17 / 44 (659.2568)	14 (169.6684)	31 (153.6572)	24 (162.2284)	7 (173.7028)
2018-05-26	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2) Westmont, IL	14 / 60 (672.5600)	14 (171.4172)	22 (167.9772)	6 (174.2972)	38 (158.8684)
2018-05-25	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 1) Westmont, IL	38 / 49 (638.1028)	37 (161.1084)	42 (154.2400)	35 (159.3716)	26 (163.3828)
2017-10-06	*BBQ & Blues on the Levee Helena, AR	18 / 30 (651.8288)	20 (163.9428)	24 (154.2288)	8 (170.2628)	14 (163.3944)
2017-08-18	*Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest Cape Girardeau, MO	18 / 43 (658.1144)	30 (158.8000)	15 (166.2516)	3 (174.2628)	22 (158.8000)
2017-05-05	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour St. Charles, MO	21 / 29 (650.7316)	27 (158.2400)	27 (154.2632)	1 (176.0000)	18 (162.2284)
2016-08-19	Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest Cape Girardeau, MO	11 / 51 (659.3372)	18 (163.9544)	33 (157.7028)	8 (170.2628)	10 (167.4172)
2016-05-27	35th Annual Kennett Jaycee's Show Me State BBQ Cook off Kennett, MO	11 / 28 (665.6116)	3 (173.1200)	18 (161.6916)	5 (174.8572)	20 (155.9428)

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	#153 (1233 pts)	#80 (1558 pts)	#128 (1373 pts)	#166 (1188 pts)	#123 (1368 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#384 (501 pts)	#483 (396 pts)	#431 (486 pts)	#267 (761 pts)	#358 (571 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#769 (95 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#845 (85 pts)	#773 (110 pts)	#554 (185 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1690 (105 pts)	#1558 (125 pts)	#2026 (60 pts)	#1786 (100 pts)	#1536 (120 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1011 (275 pts)	#1036 (290 pts)	#1298 (195 pts)	#1011 (300 pts)	#1035 (285 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1155 (259 pts)	#1446 (194 pts)	#1355 (224 pts)	#608 (664 pts)	#1164 (274 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1176 (253 pts)	#1076 (323 pts)	#1724 (148 pts)	#1068 (333 pts)	#1400 (213 pts)