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
Hicks from the Sticks BBQ
Hicks from the Sticks BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 11 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2021 and 2025. Their best overall finish is 5th of 36 at the Que' For a Cause (2023). They are ranked #2868 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1509
peak 1515 · rated over 9 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
11
in the data
First seen
Mar 26, 2021
latest Oct 3, 2025 · 4.5 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
3
6 podiums
Overall top-10s
5
45% of 11 contests
Best top-10 run
3
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 59%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Walk rate
64%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±15.19
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 173.02 · weakest Brisket (153.98)
Road miles
1,213
across 11 mapped stops · furthest 207 mi
Schedule strength
67%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1585)
Purse competed for
$55K
listed at 9 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 5 state-championship entries
Master avg
656.62 / 720
5 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
347.41 / 360
2 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
508.51 / 540
3 Backyard (3-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), 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 | #869 (121 pts) | #670 (261 pts) | #1116 (111 pts) | #854 (151 pts) | #1025 (106 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #141 (375 pts) | #207 (195 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #87 (539 pts) | #135 (294 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #807 (180 pts) | #546 (395 pts) | #870 (195 pts) | #709 (255 pts) | #882 (170 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #189 (120 pts) | #205 (115 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #1236 (60 pts) | #1202 (80 pts) | #1164 (100 pts) | #1262 (60 pts) | #1245 (60 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Hicks from the Sticks BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
100 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,874 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1509
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#2,873 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1515
Careers of much the same size, 9 contests to 11, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#2,866 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1515
Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 9 years before Hicks from the Sticks BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#2,860 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1510
They were already cooking in 2014, 7 years before Hicks from the Sticks BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#2,877 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1509
Level with Hicks from the Sticks BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#2,857 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1514
Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 11, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambition Que | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| TAILGATE GUYS BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| LOVE 2 Q | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Swine-O-licious BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 10 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 180 🔥 | 159.3828 | 173.02 | top 32% |
| Pork Ribs | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 176.0116 | 161.6572 | 167.11 | top 60% |
| Pork | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 173.7028 | 159.9544 | 166.53 | top 62% |
| Brisket | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 162.8000 | 147.8972 | 153.98 | top 95% |
“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 82% |
| Medium (20–39) | 8 | 0 | top 53% |
| Large (40+) | 1 | 0 | top 87% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Que' For a Cause | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 32% | Aug 4, 2023 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2022
5 contests
Contests a season
2.8
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
MO
5 of 11 contests · 3 states in all
Contests visited
9
1 of them more than once
Opponents faced
180
finished ahead 143 times, behind 187
Longest layoff
2.1 yrs
Aug 12, 2023 → Oct 3, 2025
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20253 milestones
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild
- Career-best overall score683.3028 Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild
- Most recent contest Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild
20232 milestones
- Peak power rating (1515) Que' For a Cause
- 10th tracked contest 5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL
20221 milestone
- First category win (Chicken) Columbia Elks BBQ Cookoff
20214 milestones
- First tracked contest Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score656.4232 Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge
- First call Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD)
- First overall top-10 Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.4 | Que' For a Cause | Aug 4, 2023 |
| +12.7 | Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) Day 2 | Oct 8, 2022 |
| +9.4 | Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) Day 1 | Oct 7, 2022 |
| +1.5 | Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) | Oct 1, 2021 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8.8 | Columbia Elks BBQ Cookoff | May 6, 2022 |
| -7.5 | Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 2 | Mar 26, 2022 |
| -6.6 | Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge | Mar 26, 2021 |
| -6.1 | Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild | Oct 3, 2025 |
| -0.9 | Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 1 | Mar 25, 2022 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 82% | 94.9% | 94.9% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 38% | 97.8% | 96.5% |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 60% | top 60% | 96.2% | 92.2% |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 68% | 91.3% | 91.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2025 | Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild 🏅 Branson, MO | 9 / 11 (683.3028) | 1 (180) | 10 (167.3828) | 6 (173.1200) | 11 (162.8000) |
| Aug 12, 2023 | 5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Mayetta, KS | 18 / 29 (342.8344) | 10 (176.0116) | 23 (166.8228) | — | — |
| Aug 11, 2023 | 5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Mayetta, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aug 4, 2023 | Que' For a Cause Tahlequah, OK | 5 / 36 (351.9888) | 2 (178.8572) | 9 (173.1316) | — | — |
| Oct 8, 2022 | Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) Day 2 Tahlequah, OK | 5 / 32 (519.3944) | 1 (178.8572) | 3 (176.0116) | 20 (164.5256) | — |
| Oct 7, 2022 | Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) Day 1 Tahlequah, OK | 9 / 32 (513.0856) | 2 (176.5600) | 24 (162.8228) | 14 (173.7028) | — |
| May 6, 2022 | Columbia Elks BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Columbia, MO | 23 / 25 (655.8400) | 1 (178.8572) | 22 (163.9772) | 20 (164.5256) | 25 (148.4800) |
| Mar 26, 2022 | Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 2 🏅 St. Robert, MO | 36 / 39 (636.3084) | 36 (159.3828) | 32 (161.6572) | 19 (167.3712) | 39 (147.8972) |
| Mar 25, 2022 | Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 1 🏅 St. Robert, MO | 27 / 38 (651.2452) | 28 (162.8000) | 23 (163.4056) | 19 (167.3712) | 32 (157.6684) |
| Oct 1, 2021 | Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) Tahlequah, OK | 10 / 20 (493.0628) | 10 (167.4400) | 11 (163.9428) | 14 (161.6800) | — |
| Mar 26, 2021 | Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge 🏅 St. Roberts, MO | 45 / 52 (656.4232) | 21 (171.4172) | 17 (171.9772) | 44 (159.9544) | 47 (153.0744) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.