KCQ

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

Power ranking

#791

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1628

peak 1638 · rated over 34 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-04-26

latest 2019-09-27

Best ToY finish

#593

Master 2014

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

11 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 35 contests

Avg finish

top 37%

overall standings

Best overall

694.2856 / 720

Master · Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

639.81 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 653.59 (-13.78)

Walk rate

51%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Pork · Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque

Consistency

±46.78

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 168.12 · weakest Brisket (161.85)

Road miles

1,086

mi across 35 mapped stops · furthest 71 mi

Schedule strength

40%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1552)

Purse competed for

$22K

listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

1 🏅

GCs in 9 state-championship entries

Master avg

653.59 / 720

35 Master contests · 1 GC

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (16 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

Against the odds

14-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 86 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship (2014-09-26) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 14-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, TRUEBUD BBQ.

Giant slayer

112 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 112-team field at Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship.

2014-09-26

Happy hunting ground

1× Grand Championships here

Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 5 visits.

5 visits
best finish 1st
average top 7%

High-water mark

694.2856 career-best overall

96.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 694.2856 at Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship — 96.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
2014-09-26

State champions

1 state championships won

They've taken 1 state championship from 9 entries at contests carrying the title.

9 state-championship entries

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BLAZING SADDLES BBQ has finished one call ahead of KCQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2014 1 Grand Championship

2014 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 20%.

4 contests
1 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 20%

A tough matchup

20–1 behind in the head-to-head

GETTIN' SAUCED ahead in 95% of their meetings

GETTIN' SAUCED has come out ahead in 20 of their 21 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.3 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.27 points below their pork, and turns into a call 3% of the time against 23%.

Brisket avg 161.85
Pork avg 168.12
1 calls in 35 entries

The drought

27 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship on 2014-09-26 — 27 contests and 11.9 years ago.

last GC 2014-09-26
11.9 years ago

A strong matchup

15–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 88% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of T'S SMOKIN PIT in 15 of their 17 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

17 of 21 shared pork entries lost

GETTIN' SAUCED ahead 81% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, GETTIN' SAUCED has out-cooked them in 17 of 21 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Sons of a Brisket has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A September team

Top 15% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 15% across 9 contests, versus top 37% the rest of the year.

9 September contests
top 37% the rest of the year

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship every year from 2013 to 2016 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 1st

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.

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

FRONT DOOR GANG

#790 of the rated field

1628 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 47%
Peak: 1641

2–1 in 3 shared contests (67% to KCQ)

These two have cooked 3 of the same contests — KCQ ahead 2–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 29 contests
last seen 2016-08-05

⚔ Head-to-head

HOT CHIHUAHUA BARBECUE

#794 of the rated field

1628 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1628

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to KCQ)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 26 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 26 contests
last seen 2024-08-16

⚔ Head-to-head

WORTH SMOKIN' BBQ

#792 of the rated field

1628 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1628

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to KCQ)

Their last contest in the data was back in 2015, 4 years before KCQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 15 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKEN DUDES BBQ

#788 of the rated field

1628 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 33
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1644

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 33 contests to 35, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 33 contests
last seen 2018-09-28

⚔ Head-to-head

FAT ANDY'S BBQ

#793 of the rated field

1628 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1633

No shared contest yet.

30 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 33% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 30 contests
last seen 2017-09-08

⚔ Head-to-head

T Daddys BBQ

#795 of the rated field

1628 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 46
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 57%
Peak: 1661

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 6 years after KCQ did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 40 contests
last seen 2026-08-28
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
GETTIN' SAUCED	21	1	20	5%	⚔ compare
Theslabs.com	20	10	10	50%	⚔ compare
Sons of a Brisket	19	8	11	42%	⚔ compare
SLAPS BBQ	19	3	16	16%	⚔ compare
T'S SMOKIN PIT	17	15	2	88%	⚔ compare
PIG NEWTON	17	13	4	76%	⚔ compare
DIRT ROAD BBQ	17	3	14	18%	⚔ compare
ALL FORKED UP FOR Q	16	12	4	75%	⚔ compare
913 BBQ	16	4	12	25%	⚔ compare
JAESTAR BBQ	16	2	14	13%	⚔ compare
BURNT FINGER BBQ	15	6	9	40%	⚔ compare
THUMP & STRUM BBQ	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
PELLET ENVY	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
SMOOTH SMOKE	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
ROADKILL BBQ	14	11	3	79%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	35	9	1	5	178.8800	20.0000	165.12	top 32%
Pork Ribs	34	8	0	3	178.8572	157.1084	167.21	top 37%
Pork	35	8	0	3	180.0000 🔥	153.6228	168.12	top 38%
Brisket	35	1	0	0	171.9888	147.3828	161.85	top 51%

“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
MO	18	0	top 47%
KS	17	1	top 27%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	2	0	top 49%
Large (40+)	33	1	top 37%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship	5	1	1	top 7%	2019-09-27
*Racing for the BBQ	4	10	0	top 44%	2018-07-27
Smoke Out Hunger BBQ Challenge	3	14	0	top 57%	2019-06-07
Smokin On Big Creek BBQ Contest Benefiting Operation BBQ Relief(TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL)	3	23	0	top 44%	2017-03-31
Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque	2	9	0	top 8%	2018-09-21
*Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest	2	20	0	top 44%	2017-07-14
Sugar Mound BBQ Festival	2	9	0	top 16%	2015-05-23

The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 6.4 yrs 2013-04-26 → 2019-09-27

Busiest season 2018 6 contests

Contests a season 5 across 7 seasons in the data

Cooks most in MO 18 of 35 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 21 7 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 35 entries · 1 win · 9 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 168.12 · weakest Brisket (161.85)

Walk rate 51% a top-10 call in 18 of 35 contests

Overall top-10 rate 26% 9 of 35 contests

Wins it all 3% 1 Grand Championship · 0 reserve

First title 2014-09-26 Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship

Master average 653.59 out of 720 · 35 contests · 1 GC

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

Opponents faced 2,008 3,413–1,792 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,086 35 mapped stops · furthest 71 mi

Schedule strength 1552 average field rating faced — tougher than 40% of rated contests

Purse competed for $21,915 listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 1 from 9 state-championship entries

Power rating 1628 peak 1638 · #791 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Apr 26 First tracked contest Smokin' In The Creek
Apr 26 First call Smokin' In The Creek
May 3 First overall past 90% of a perfect score658.8564 Apple Blossom Barbecue Contest
2014
Sep 26 First overall top-10 Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship
Sep 26 First overall podium Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship
Sep 26 First Grand Championship Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship
Sep 26 First state championship Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship
Sep 26 Biggest field won (112 teams) Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship
Sep 26 Career-best overall score694.2856 Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship
2015
Apr 3 First category win (Chicken) Smokin On Big Creek BBQ Contest Benefiting Operation BBQ Relief(Judges Full)
Apr 3 10th tracked contest Smokin On Big Creek BBQ Contest Benefiting Operation BBQ Relief(Judges Full)
2017
Sep 1 25th tracked contest 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)
Sep 22 First perfect 180 (Pork) Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque
2019
Apr 26 Peak power rating (1638) Smokin In The Creek BBQ Contest
Sep 27 Most recent contest Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.2	Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship	2014-09-26
+14.1	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open	2015-10-03
+13.3	Sugar Mound BBQ Festival	2015-05-23
+13	Sugar Mound BBQ Festival	2014-05-24
+12.1	Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship	2013-09-27

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-18.5	Smoke Out Hunger BBQ Challenge	2019-06-07
-16.8	Racing for the BBQ	2016-07-29
-5.9	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open	2013-10-03
-4.6	Racing For The BBQ	2013-07-26
-4.6	Smokin' In The Creek	2013-04-26

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)
2019	3	0	1	0	33%	top 49%	94.6%	85.3%
2018	6	0	2	0	50%	top 33%	94.9%	93.4%
2017	6	0	1	0	50%	top 37%	94.9%	93.1%
2016	5	0	1	0	40%	top 44%	94.8%	88.3%
2015	6	0	3	1	67%	top 31%	95.5%	89.6%
2014	4	1	1	0	75%	top 20%	96.4%	93.6%
2013	5	0	0	0	40%	top 51%	92.7%	89.6%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019-09-27	Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS	9 / 102 (681.0512)	12 (173.7028)	20 (170.2628)	12 (173.7028)	39 (163.3828)
2019-06-07	Smoke Out Hunger BBQ Challenge 🏅 Kansas City, KS	46 / 46 (495.8856)	27 (164.5256)	—	33 (161.6800)	11 (169.6800)
2019-04-26	Smokin In The Creek BBQ Contest 🏅 Sugar Creek, MO	16 / 42 (664.4912)	24 (159.9428)	6 (171.4400)	25 (165.6684)	14 (167.4400)
2018-09-21	Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque 🏅 Shawnee, KS	9 / 107 (683.3484)	16 (170.8228)	42 (166.2628)	8 (176.0000)	23 (170.2628)
2018-09-15	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	136 / 467 (674.2512)	104 (172.0000)	97 (171.9656)	173 (167.4400)	253 (162.8456)
2018-07-27	*Racing for the BBQ Lee's Summit, MO	10 / 66 (675.3600)	12 (170.2628)	13 (167.9772)	12 (170.2972)	18 (166.8228)
2018-06-08	*Smoke Out Hunger BBQ Challenge Kansas City, KS	18 / 46 (667.2796)	36 (161.6456)	2 (176.5600)	11 (169.1428)	26 (159.9312)
2018-04-27	*Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest -Re-Boot(JUDGES FULL) Sugar Creek, MO	24 / 53 (677.7144)	25 (168.0000)	2 (178.8572)	14 (170.8572)	33 (160.0000)
2018-03-23	*Smokin On Big Creek Pleasant Hill, MO	23 / 39 (657.0060)	23 (164.5372)	20 (167.4060)	19 (166.8228)	29 (158.2400)
2017-09-22	Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque 🏅 Shawnee, KS	9 / 112 (678.1484)	28 (167.3712)	15 (171.9772)	2 (180.0000)	64 (158.8000)
2017-09-01	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	218 / 407 (659.4172)	49 (174.8572)	275 (161.1200)	290 (160.5600)	226 (162.8800)
2017-07-28	*Racing for the BBQ Lee's Summit, MO	15 / 54 (683.4288)	2 (178.8800)	30 (168.0000)	33 (164.5600)	12 (171.9888)
2017-07-14	*Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS	30 / 58 (671.3256)	14 (171.4056)	19 (171.4172)	41 (162.8228)	26 (165.6800)
2017-06-09	*Smoke Out Hunger BBQ Challenge Kansas City, KS	14 / 42 (673.6228)	21 (165.0856)	2 (177.1428)	3 (176.5944)	28 (154.8000)
2017-03-31	Smokin On Big Creek BBQ Contest Benefiting Operation BBQ Relief(TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Pleasant Hill, MO	28 / 59 (655.8628)	21 (168.5600)	38 (161.6456)	20 (168.5716)	37 (157.0856)
2016-10-29	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN) Kansas City, KS	156 / 557 (668.4684)	92 (171.4516)	118 (170.8228)	158 (169.1084)	368 (157.0856)
2016-09-23	Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS	4 / 111 (682.8916)	24 (169.1772)	8 (173.1200)	2 (177.7372)	40 (162.8572)
2016-07-29	Racing for the BBQ Lee's Summit, MO	54 / 54 (507.8856)	54 (20.0000)	37 (161.7028)	31 (166.8228)	45 (159.3600)
2016-06-03	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS	20 / 55 (664.5484)	2 (177.1772)	42 (157.1084)	11 (173.7028)	39 (156.5600)
2016-04-01	Smokin On Big Creek BBQ Contest Benefiting Operation BBQ Relief Pleasant Hill, MO	37 / 72 (655.8856)	30 (168.0228)	47 (159.3484)	34 (166.8572)	36 (161.6572)
2015-10-03	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	8 / 606 (516.0344)	233 (166.2856)	152 (169.1428)	211 (166.8572)	388 (157.6684)
2015-10-02	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	180 / 187 (639.3368)	155 (163.9656)	156 (161.7256)	163 (160.5600)	183 (153.0856)
2015-09-25	Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS	7 / 112 (687.3828)	3 (177.7372)	50 (164.5256)	9 (174.2744)	16 (170.8456)
2015-07-24	Racing for the BBQ Lees Summit, MO	21 / 63 (671.9316)	2 (177.1544)	40 (160.5372)	26 (167.4172)	25 (166.8228)
2015-05-23	Sugar Mound BBQ Festival Mound City, KS	9 / 62 (683.4516)	9 (173.7028)	7 (173.7028)	6 (174.9144)	39 (161.1316)
2015-04-03	Smokin On Big Creek BBQ Contest Benefiting Operation BBQ Relief(Judges Full) Pleasant Hill, MO	23 / 71 (670.8572)	1 (178.8800)	37 (163.4400)	47 (163.9772)	29 (164.5600)
2014-10-02	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	190 / 552 (663.4744)	151 (169.1656)	175 (168.0116)	295 (162.9144)	252 (163.3828)
2014-09-26	Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS	1 / 112 (694.2856)	5 (174.8800)	15 (170.2856)	4 (177.7028)	7 (171.4172)
2014-07-25	Racing for the BBQ Lee's Summit, MO	14 / 54 (665.6344)	5 (176.5600)	8 (170.8572)	40 (158.2744)	32 (159.9428)
2014-05-24	Sugar Mound BBQ Festival Mound City, KS	16 / 87 (673.0852)	26 (168.0228)	6 (174.8456)	36 (165.6684)	37 (164.5484)
2013-10-03	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	378 / 535 (622.1256)	328 (158.7884)	257 (159.4516)	401 (153.6228)	395 (150.2628)
2013-09-27	Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS	16 / 114 (667.3028)	14 (169.7372)	59 (160.5028)	11 (170.8228)	21 (166.2400)
2013-07-26	Racing For The BBQ Lee's Summit, MO	39 / 58 (642.7884)	8 (170.9028)	31 (163.3944)	37 (161.1084)	57 (147.3828)
2013-05-03	Apple Blossom Barbecue Contest St. Joseph, MO	15 / 39 (658.8564)	13 (167.9998)	22 (159.9998)	15 (166.2854)	12 (164.5714)
2013-04-26	Smokin' In The Creek Sugar Creek, MO	27 / 41 (634.8572)	38 (147.9998)	23 (160.5718)	5 (170.8570)	30 (155.4286)

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
2016 ↗	Master	#856 (415 pts)	#853 (445 pts)	#1045 (335 pts)	#771 (510 pts)	#1285 (240 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#629 (580 pts)	#350 (1045 pts)	#784 (465 pts)	#677 (560 pts)	#875 (405 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#593 (625 pts)	#689 (550 pts)	#673 (560 pts)	#818 (450 pts)	#853 (405 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#813 (375 pts)	#667 (490 pts)	#1011 (305 pts)	#629 (525 pts)	#860 (365 pts)