Backwoods Grillin'

Backwoods Grillin' is a competition barbecue team with 15 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2017. Their best overall finish is 17th of 37 at the Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival (2016). They are ranked #5929 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “BACKWOODS GRILLIN”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#5,929

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1437

peak 1437 · rated over 14 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 7, 2013

latest Oct 20, 2017 · 4.4 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#1246

Master 2014 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 15 contests

Avg finish

top 74%

overall standings

Best overall

667.3828 / 720

Master · Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

644.03 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 635.62 (+8.40)

Walk rate

20%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

174.2744

Pork · Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival

Consistency

±18.01

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 160.47 · weakest Pork Ribs (155.70)

Road miles

2,594

across 15 mapped stops · furthest 1,142 mi

Schedule strength

25%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1534)

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

635.62 / 720

14 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

High-water mark

667.3828 career-best overall

92.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 667.3828 at Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival — 92.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 14, 2016

A tough matchup

11–0 behind in the head-to-head

HISTORIC BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

HISTORIC BBQ has come out ahead in 11 of their 11 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.8 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.77 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 7%.

Pork Ribs avg 155.70
Chicken avg 160.47
0 calls in 14 entries

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Tuggy Bear BBQ in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2 years, then back at Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival (Oct 18, 2019).

last seen Oct 20, 2017
back Oct 18, 2019

Chicken nemesis

8 of 11 shared chicken entries lost

HISTORIC BBQ ahead 73% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, HISTORIC BBQ has out-cooked them in 8 of 11 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

TEAM RINE-O has landed one call behind them 2 times.

Show 2 more storylines

An October team

Top 61% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 61% across 4 contests, versus top 74% the rest of the year.

4 October contests
top 74% the rest of the year

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival every year from 2014 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 17th

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	#1722 (120 pts)	#1802 (120 pts)	#1716 (140 pts)	#1743 (130 pts)	#1409 (200 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1593 (159 pts)	#1666 (164 pts)	#2013 (119 pts)	#1399 (224 pts)	#1237 (254 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1321 (195 pts)	#1456 (185 pts)	#1286 (235 pts)	#1238 (255 pts)	#1245 (235 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1246 (226 pts)	#930 (386 pts)	#1412 (206 pts)	#1494 (191 pts)	#1460 (191 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1251 (206 pts)	#1255 (221 pts)	#1264 (226 pts)	#1303 (206 pts)	#1146 (251 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Backwoods Grillin', each with one reason worth a look.

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

Blue Line BBQ

#5,934 of the rated field

1437 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1437

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Backwoods Grillin')

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Backwoods Grillin' has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 27 contests
last seen Feb 27, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

LTS BBQ

#5,928 of the rated field

1437 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1437

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 13 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Jul 16, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

HERE COME THE JUDGE BBQ TEAM

#5,926 of the rated field

1438 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1438

Careers of much the same size, 13 contests to 15, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Oct 5, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

ATLANTA BBQ CLUB

#5,923 of the rated field

1438 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1438

13 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Apr 28, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

ALL ABOUT THE Q

#5,925 of the rated field

1438 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1438

Level with Backwoods Grillin' on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 16 contests
last seen Jun 23, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

Gettin' Piggy With It!

#5,944 of the rated field

1437 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1437

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Jun 12, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
HISTORIC BBQ	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
SUCKA BONE BBQ TEAM	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
BARK BROTHERS BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
BRUTUS AND COMPANY	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
TEAM RINE-O	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
BUCKEYE BBQ TROY OH	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
Smitty's Real Pit BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' 4-PLAY BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
BURNING PIG BBQ	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
FOOMANCHOO BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
YELLOW RIVER BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
VICTORY SMOKERS	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
SPITTIN' FEATHERS BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
HIGH ON THE HOG OHIO	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	14	1	173.1200	141.6340	160.47	top 67%
Pork Ribs	14	0	169.1544	138.2744	155.70	top 74%
Pork	14	2	174.2744	139.9312	159.52	top 68%
Brisket	14	0	170.2512	144.4916	159.93	top 59%

“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)	10	0	top 73%
Large (40+)	4	0	top 77%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
OH	11	top 75%
CO	2	top 74%
KS	1	top 64%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival	4	17	0	top 61%	Oct 20, 2017
Buckeye State BBQ Championship	2	30	0	top 81%	May 15, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2015 4 contests

Contests a season 2.5 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in OH 12 of 15 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 10 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 297 finished ahead 142 times, behind 381

Longest layoff 2 yrs Oct 20, 2017 → Oct 18, 2019

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

20191 milestone

Oct 18 Most recent contest Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival

20161 milestone

Oct 14 Career-best overall score667.3828 Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival

20152 milestones

Oct 16 10th tracked contest Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival
Oct 16 Career-best single call (Pork)174.2744 Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival

20142 milestones

Oct 17 First call Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival
Oct 17 First overall past 90% of a perfect score650.7772 Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival

20132 milestones

Jun 7 First tracked contest Boats, Bands and BBQ
Jun 7 Peak power rating (1493) Boats, Bands and BBQ

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+6.2	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival	Oct 14, 2016
+2.6	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival	Oct 17, 2014
+1.8	9th Ohio Veterans BBQ Cookoff	Jul 10, 2015

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.3	Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off	Jul 8, 2016
-9.4	8th Annual Ohio Veterans BBQ Cookoff	Jul 11, 2014
-8.2	PigMania Lima	May 29, 2015
-7.8	Buckeye State BBQ Championship	May 15, 2015
-7.4	Buckeye State BBQ Championship	May 16, 2014

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	1	0%	—	—	—
2017	2	0%	top 75%	90.4%	89.2%
2016	2	50%	top 73%	92.7%	89.5%
2015	4	25%	top 77%	92%	89.7%
2014	3	33%	top 72%	90.4%	86.7%
2013	3	0%	top 71%	87.6%	86.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 18, 2019	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival 🏅 Nelsonville, OH	—	—	—	—	—
Oct 20, 2017	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival Nelsonville, OH	27 / 39 (650.8228)	26 (163.9772)	21 (166.2972)	33 (156.5484)	19 (164)
Jul 7, 2017	Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off Kettering, OH	33 / 41 (634.2744)	27 (162.2628)	40 (145.7144)	23 (161.1200)	15 (165.1772)
Oct 14, 2016	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival Nelsonville, OH	17 / 37 (667.3828)	16 (170.2628)	29 (158.8000)	7 (169.7372)	12 (168.5828)
Jul 8, 2016	Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off Kettering, OH	34 / 34 (621.5196)	31 (154.8228)	31 (156.5144)	34 (139.9312)	11 (170.2512)
Oct 16, 2015	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival Nelsonville, OH	29 / 36 (646.1260)	34 (149.0628)	33 (153.1088)	10 (174.2744)	16 (169.6800)
Jul 10, 2015	9th Ohio Veterans BBQ Cookoff Kettering, OH	22 / 39 (662.2060)	28 (165.1316)	14 (169.1544)	25 (165.1200)	23 (162.8000)
May 29, 2015	PigMania Lima Lima, OH	24 / 27 (633.5428)	19 (164.5600)	17 (164.5372)	23 (159.9540)	27 (144.4916)
May 15, 2015	Buckeye State BBQ Championship West Chester, OH	30 / 36 (642.1720)	24 (167.4400)	30 (152.5260)	27 (162.8228)	26 (159.3832)
Oct 17, 2014	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival Nelsonville, OH	18 / 36 (650.7772)	5 (173.1200)	22 (160.0344)	29 (161.1084)	25 (156.5144)
Jul 11, 2014	8th Annual Ohio Veterans BBQ Cookoff Kettering, OH	37 / 42 (606.6740)	42 (141.6340)	33 (156.5372)	32 (155.3828)	37 (153.1200)
May 16, 2014	Buckeye State BBQ Championship West Chester, OH	30 / 38 (614.7656)	11 (166.2856)	36 (138.2744)	31 (155.4056)	28 (154.8000)
Aug 30, 2013	Smokin' Brew BBQ Parker, CO	39 / 53 (630.8228)	47 (152.5828)	21 (165.7144)	38 (156.5256)	35 (156)
Jul 19, 2013	Blues, BBQ & Bargains Hays, KS	27 / 42 (627.3368)	22 (160.5484)	37 (145.6916)	25 (157.6912)	16 (163.4056)
Jun 7, 2013	Boats, Bands and BBQ Pueblo, CO	29 / 39 (610.2856)	31 (154.8570)	33 (146.8570)	28 (157.7142)	26 (150.8574)

Backwoods Grillin'

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An October team

A standing appointment

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

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

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)