Perfect scores on the board
1
perfect 180
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.
- Chicken ×1
Notch 9
Notch 9 is a competition barbecue team with 40 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2020 and 2025. Their best overall finish is 6th of 31 at the Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) (2023). They are ranked #2776 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1512
peak 1531 · rated over 33 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
40
in the data
First seen
Mar 13, 2020
latest Nov 5, 2025 · 5.6 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
4 podiums
Overall top-10s
5
13% of 40 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 62%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
677.40 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 666.77 (+10.63)
Walk rate
43%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±18.00
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 167.71 · weakest Chicken (166.13)
Road miles
1,537
across 40 mapped stops · furthest 90 mi
Schedule strength
84%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1611)
Purse competed for
$456K
listed at 29 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 32 state-championship entries
Master avg
666.77 / 720
31 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
328.48 / 360
1 Backyard contest · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #1148 (60 pts) | #1221 (60 pts) | #1293 (60 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #592 (288 pts) | #503 (413 pts) | #662 (293 pts) | #648 (273 pts) | #421 (518 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #280 (778 pts) | #352 (643 pts) | #182 (1,175 pts) | #213 (968 pts) | #292 (763 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #261 (115 pts) | #302 (90 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #279 (828 pts) | #378 (628 pts) | #232 (1,038 pts) | #294 (828 pts) | #197 (1,093 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #504 (351 pts) | #483 (396 pts) | #488 (411 pts) | #476 (391 pts) | #443 (446 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #567 (170 pts) | #595 (170 pts) | #523 (215 pts) | #532 (195 pts) | #597 (170 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Notch 9, each with one reason worth a look.
123 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,767 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1525
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Notch 9)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Notch 9 has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,764 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1515
2–1 in 3 shared contests (67% to Notch 9)
Fewer contests behind them than Notch 9 has cooked, 6 to 40, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,774 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1522
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Notch 9)
Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 4 years before Notch 9's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,751 of the rated field
- Contests
- 38
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1609
They've been 1609 at their best, 96 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#2,750 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1514
26 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 27% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#2,777 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 12%
- Peak
- 1519
Level with Notch 9 on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOVE 2 Q | 23 | 2 | 21 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 23 | 2 | 21 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | 23 | 2 | 21 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | 21 | 4 | 17 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 21 | 0 | 21 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SLAPS BBQ | 21 | 0 | 21 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Damn Fine Beef & Swine | 20 | 3 | 17 | 15% | ⚔ compare |
| Ambition Que | 19 | 11 | 8 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | 16 | 3 | 13 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| Heavy Smoke BBQ | 16 | 2 | 14 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Fergolicious BBQ | 16 | 1 | 15 | 6% | ⚔ compare |
| UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | 15 | 5 | 10 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' SAUCED | 15 | 3 | 12 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke 'n Magic | 15 | 2 | 13 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 15 | 1 | 14 | 7% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 33 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 180 🔥 | 153.0856 | 166.13 | top 68% |
| Pork Ribs | 35 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 178.2972 | 145.0744 | 166.54 | top 58% |
| Pork | 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 177.7028 | 143.9084 | 167.01 | top 56% |
| Brisket | 32 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 178.8572 | 147.9428 | 167.71 | top 48% |
“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) | 1 | 0 | top 73% |
| Medium (20–39) | 19 | 0 | top 63% |
| Large (40+) | 14 | 0 | top 60% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) | 6 | 6 | 0 | top 57% | Jul 20, 2024 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 3 | 126 | 0 | top 56% | Sep 27, 2023 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2 | 219 | 0 | top 58% | Nov 5, 2025 |
| BBQ & Fly-In on the River | 2 | 27 | 0 | top 56% | Aug 16, 2024 |
| Knights of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off "4 Life" | 2 | 15 | 0 | top 53% | Jun 16, 2023 |
| Columbia Elks BBQ Cookoff | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 63% | May 6, 2022 |
| Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) | 2 | 25 | 0 | top 89% | Jul 18, 2020 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2023
12 contests
Contests a season
6.7
across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
MO
25 of 40 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
22
7 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
35 entries · 0 wins · 7 calls
Opponents faced
1,264
finished ahead 1,302 times, behind 2,127
Longest layoff
1 yrs
Oct 30, 2024 → Nov 5, 2025
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20251 milestone
- Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides
20241 milestone
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) Smokin on the Osage (Day 1)
20233 milestones
- 25th tracked contest Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- Career-best overall score693.0744 Smokin on the Osage (Day 1)
- Peak power rating (1531) Smokin on the Osage (Day 1)
20222 milestones
- First overall top-10 American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off
- 10th tracked contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off
20211 milestone
- First call Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off Day 2
20202 milestones
- First tracked contest 2nd Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score664.4800 Smokin on the Osage (Day 2)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) | Jul 21, 2023 |
| +11.5 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off | Jul 7, 2023 |
| +11 | Border War Barbeque | Oct 21, 2022 |
| +10.3 | East Central State BBQ Cook-Off-Paola Roots Festival | Aug 26, 2022 |
| +8.1 | Smokin in the Creek BBQ | Apr 21, 2023 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.1 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) | Jul 17, 2020 |
| -9.1 | 2nd Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship | Mar 13, 2020 |
| -8.8 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Sep 27, 2023 |
| -8.4 | Boo-B-Que - Day 1 | Oct 29, 2021 |
| -7.3 | Columbia Elks BBQ Cookoff | May 1, 2021 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 55% | 93.8% | 93.8% |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 63% | 95.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 58% | top 51% | 96.3% | 93.8% |
| 2022 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 55% | top 53% | 95.5% | 92.8% |
| 2021 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17% | top 82% | 90.5% | 89.3% |
| 2020 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 89% | 92.3% | 89% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 219 / 401 (675.3828) | 238 (168.5372) | 236 (167.4400) | 64 (175.4172) | 274 (163.9884) |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 274 / 444 (667.8852) | 307 (165.0856) | 361 (161.6912) | 74 (174.2972) | 235 (166.8112) |
| Aug 16, 2024 | BBQ & Fly-In on the River 🏅 Excelsior Springs, MO | 42 / 65 (666.1256) | 49 (162.8000) | 55 (159.3828) | 32 (169.6800) | 13 (174.2628) |
| Jul 20, 2024 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 20 / 33 (690.7888) | 31 (163.9428) | 17 (174.8572) | 18 (173.1316) | 2 (178.8572) |
| Jul 19, 2024 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 20 / 37 (686.8116) | 3 (180) | 22 (170.2972) | 29 (167.3944) | 21 (169.1200) |
| Apr 26, 2024 | Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest 🏅 Sugar Creek, MO | 32 / 44 (667.8628) | 40 (158.2172) | 25 (168.5372) | 32 (165.0856) | 5 (176.0228) |
| Sep 27, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 27, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 413 / 487 (637.0168) | 212 (169.7028) | 339 (163.9772) | 476 (143.9084) | 368 (159.4284) |
| Aug 18, 2023 | BBQ & Fly-In on the River 🏅 Excelsior Springs, MO | 27 / 57 (679.3140) | 8 (176.5600) | 37 (165.6800) | 34 (168.5256) | 25 (168.5484) |
| Jul 22, 2023 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 20 / 28 (670.1716) | 25 (165.0972) | 14 (171.4172) | 11 (171.9772) | 22 (161.6800) |
| Jul 22, 2023 | Smokin on the Osage (ONE MEAT RIBS) 🏅 Osceola, MO | — | — | 4 (174.2860) | — | — |
| Jul 21, 2023 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 6 / 31 (693.0744) | 21 (169.6800) | 6 (176.5600) | 4 (176.5600) | 12 (170.2744) |
| Jul 7, 2023 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Cameron, MO | 7 / 30 (691.9200) | 15 (172.5600) | 10 (174.2744) | 9 (173.1200) | 11 (171.9656) |
| Jul 7, 2023 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Cameron, MO | — | — | 5 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Jun 16, 2023 | Knights of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off "4 Life" 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 16 / 29 (674.7888) | 23 (165.6916) | 21 (167.4056) | 14 (170.2744) | 11 (171.4172) |
| Jun 9, 2023 | Made for KC BBQ Championship (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Kansas City, MO | 26 / 44 (674.1368) | 33 (166.2284) | 27 (169.1200) | 37 (165.0856) | 4 (173.7028) |
| Apr 21, 2023 | Smokin in the Creek BBQ 🏅 Sugar Creek, MO | 19 / 51 (681.6112) | 23 (168.5372) | 36 (161.6456) | 4 (177.7028) | 9 (173.7256) |
| Mar 17, 2023 | 5th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 40 / 68 (675.3600) | 53 (162.2400) | 11 (175.4172) | 42 (168) | 30 (169.7028) |
| Oct 21, 2022 | Border War Barbeque 🏅 Osawatomie, KS | 10 / 30 (687.3484) | 14 (171.9656) | 10 (174.2628) | 16 (169.1200) | 8 (172) |
| Oct 1, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - SIDES Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 29, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 279 / 505 (664.4340) | 230 (168.5140) | 490 (148.5028) | 48 (176.0116) | 107 (171.4056) |
| Aug 26, 2022 | East Central State BBQ Cook-Off-Paola Roots Festival 🏅 Paola, KS | 15 / 45 (683.3712) | 33 (162.2512) | 3 (178.2972) | 15 (171.4172) | 11 (171.4056) |
| Aug 5, 2022 | Smokin on The Harbor (JUDGING FULL) 🏅 Warsaw, MO | 11 / 25 (686.2744) | 17 (165.6800) | 11 (170.8572) | 10 (172.5944) | 4 (177.1428) |
| Jul 23, 2022 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 20 / 26 (653.0056) | 23 (161.6572) | 17 (165.7028) | 23 (160.5600) | 15 (165.0856) |
| Jul 22, 2022 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 17 / 28 (667.3604) | 28 (153.0972) | 3 (176.0344) | 20 (165.1088) | 5 (173.1200) |
| Jun 17, 2022 | Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off "4 Life" 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 15 / 29 (666.6968) | 21 (165.6684) | 19 (159.3600) | 10 (170.8456) | 7 (170.8228) |
| May 6, 2022 | Columbia Elks BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Columbia, MO | 9 / 25 (681.6576) | 11 (173.1316) | 17 (167.9888) | 6 (171.4172) | 12 (169.1200) |
| Mar 25, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 17 / 25 (328.4800) | 12 (167.9656) | 17 (160.5144) | — | — |
| Mar 25, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off Kansas City, MO | 8 / 11 (157.7372) | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 30, 2021 | Boo-B-Que - Day 2 🏅 Unity Village, MO | 32 / 33 (651.2344) | 31 (166.2400) | 33 (151.3256) | 19 (170.8344) | 30 (162.8344) |
| Oct 29, 2021 | Boo-B-Que - Day 1 🏅 Unity Village, MO | 41 / 41 (649.6000) | 36 (166.8800) | 40 (161.1200) | 40 (162.8000) | 40 (158.8000) |
| Sep 16, 2021 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 126 / 467 (458.1484) | 329 (160.5600) | 317 (162.2400) | 102 (170.8228) | 304 (159.9656) |
| Jul 17, 2021 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off Day 2 🏅 Cameron, MO | 24 / 25 (646.1028) | 21 (165.1200) | 25 (145.0744) | 22 (161.6456) | 8 (174.2628) |
| Jul 16, 2021 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off Day 1 🏅 Cameron, MO | 28 / 33 (651.2916) | 19 (169.1316) | 25 (163.9772) | 30 (155.9428) | 24 (162.2400) |
| May 1, 2021 | Columbia Elks BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Columbia, MO | 35 / 39 (647.3488) | 32 (163.4400) | 12 (171.4172) | 38 (149.0972) | 30 (163.3944) |
| Jul 18, 2020 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 25 / 31 (664.4800) | 25 (167.4172) | 16 (171.4172) | 22 (166.2856) | 28 (159.3600) |
| Jul 17, 2020 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 28 / 29 (637.5200) | 29 (153.0856) | 26 (163.4172) | 23 (162.8000) | 26 (158.2172) |
| Mar 13, 2020 | 2nd Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 61 / 68 (620.4688) | 41 (165.7144) | 56 (159.9544) | 64 (146.8572) | 63 (147.9428) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.