They almost always walk
77%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 10 of 13 contests
A top-10 category call in 77% of their 13 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
DIGGERS BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1488
peak 1488 · rated over 10 contests ⓘ
Contests
13
in the data
First seen
2016-09-16
latest 2026-06-26
Best ToY finish
#207
Backyard 2026
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
5
of 13 contests
Avg finish
top 61%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
326.25 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 324.69 (+1.56)
Walk rate
77%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
3
and counting
Consistency
±10.83
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 164.86 · weakest Brisket (150.97)
Road miles
380
mi across 12 mapped stops · furthest 50 mi
Schedule strength
30%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1540)
Purse competed for
$21K
listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 1 state-championship entries
Master avg
623.01 / 720
4 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
324.69 / 360
7 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is 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.
Storylines (9 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.
The one to beat
3×
one call ahead of them
7.62 BBQ has finished one call ahead of DIGGERS BBQ 3 times — their closest competition in the data.
A strong matchup
6–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of Patti's Pit Stop in 6 of their 6 shared contests.
The comeback
1.8 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 1.8 years, then back at Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) (2021-06-19).
- last seen 2019-09-06
- back 2021-06-19
Pork Ribs nemesis
4 of 4
shared pork ribs entries lost
SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ ahead 100% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ has out-cooked them in 4 of 4 shared pork ribs entries.
Announced themselves early
4th
at their very first contest
Finished 4 of 14 at their very first tracked contest, Camp High Hopes Rib Fest(BACKYARD ONLY) ().
- 14-team field
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
Three Casual Smokers has landed one call behind them 2 times.
A June team
Top 48%
average finish in June
Something about June: average finish in the top 48% across 6 contests, versus top 61% the rest of the year.
- 6 June contests
- top 61% the rest of the year
A standing appointment
5
years running at one contest
They've cooked Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) every year from 2021 to 2025 — the contest they never miss.
- 6 visits in all
- best finish 4th
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.
136 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#3791 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1504
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2022, 4 years before DIGGERS BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#3782 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1508
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 13, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#3769 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1488
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#3787 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1509
No shared contest yet.
Level with DIGGERS BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#3762 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1504
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before DIGGERS BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#3761 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1501
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 9 years before DIGGERS BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.62 BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Patti's Pit Stop | 6 | 6 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| 2 B's BBQ | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ Pit Bros | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEY GQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 172.0000 | 142.1944 | 159.46 | top 53% |
| Pork Ribs | 13 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 179.4400 | 154.7884 | 164.86 | top 47% |
| Pork | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 159.9428 | 145.6912 | 152.51 | top 86% |
| Brisket | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 162.2744 | 143.4400 | 150.97 | top 85% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| IA | 10 | 0 | top 58% |
| SD | 1 | 0 | top 90% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 5 | 0 | top 48% |
| Medium (20–39) | 6 | 0 | top 72% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | 6 | 4 | 0 | top 47% | 2025-06-20 |
| *Tri City BBQ Fest | 3 | 26 | 0 | top 89% | 2018-09-21 |
The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
9.8 yrs
2016-09-16 → 2026-06-26
Busiest season
2018
2 contests
Contests a season
1.2
across 11 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
IA
12 of 13 contests · 2 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
4
2 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
13 entries · 0 wins · 7 calls
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
averages 164.86 · weakest Brisket (150.97)
Walk rate
77%
a top-10 call in 10 of 13 contests
Overall top-10 rate
38%
5 of 13 contests
Best top-10 run
3
straight contests — and still running
Master average
623.01
out of 720 · 4 contests · 0 GCs
Backyard average
324.69
out of 360 · 7 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
136
81–155 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
380
12 mapped stops · furthest 50 mi
Schedule strength
1540
average field rating faced — tougher than 30% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$21,250
listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 1 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
1.8 yrs
2019-09-06 → 2021-06-19
Power rating
1488
peak 1488 · #3775 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- First tracked contest Camp High Hopes Rib Fest(BACKYARD ONLY)
- First call Camp High Hopes Rib Fest(BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall top-10 Camp High Hopes Rib Fest(BACKYARD ONLY)
- 2016
- Peak power rating (1491) Tri City BBQ Fest
- 2017
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)179.4400 Rib Fest 2017(BACKYARD)
- Career-best overall score636.4804 Tri City BBQ Fest
- 2018
- First category win (Pork Ribs) *Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 2022
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score330.8000 Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (Backyard)
- 2023
- 10th tracked contest Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 2026
- Most recent contest Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +11.2 | Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-06-20 |
| +7.1 | Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2026-06-26 |
| +6.7 | Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (Backyard) | 2022-06-17 |
| +2.7 | Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2021-06-19 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.9 | *Tri City BBQ Fest | 2018-09-21 |
| -9.3 | Tri City BBQ Fest | 2016-09-16 |
| -7.2 | Tri City BBQ Fest | 2017-09-22 |
| -6.3 | Ribs, Rod & Rock'n Roll | 2019-09-06 |
| -3.8 | Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2024-06-21 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 29% | 88.6% | 88.6% |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 37% | 93.6% | 93.6% |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 25% | 94.5% | 94.5% |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 71% | 89.8% | 89.8% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 67% | 86.7% | 86.7% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 38% | 91.9% | 91.9% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 50% | 86.3% | 86.3% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 90% | 87% | 87% |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 50% | top 96% | 85.4% | 85.4% |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 81% | 88.4% | 88.4% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 88% | 85.2% | 85.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Sioux City, IA | 7 / 19 (337.1316) | 4 (172.0000) | 9 (165.1316) | — | — |
| 2025-06-20 | Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Sioux City, IA | 5 / 20 (340.0232) | 5 (171.4400) | 8 (168.5832) | — | — |
| 2024-06-21 | Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Sioux City, IA | 12 / 17 (323.3484) | 5 (168.5600) | 14 (154.7884) | — | — |
| 2023-06-23 | Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Sioux City, IA | 10 / 15 (311.9428) | 13 (145.1084) | 5 (166.8344) | — | — |
| 2022-06-17 | Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (Backyard) Sioux City, IA | 5 / 13 (330.8000) | 4 (166.8228) | 5 (163.9772) | — | — |
| 2021-06-19 | Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Sioux City, IA | 11 / 22 (310.7544) | 20 (142.1944) | 7 (168.5600) | — | — |
| 2019-09-06 | Ribs, Rod & Rock'n Roll 🏅 Vermillion, SD | 26 / 29 (626.6288) | 13 (168.5600) | 23 (161.0972) | 27 (147.8972) | 27 (149.0744) |
| 2018-09-21 | *Tri City BBQ Fest Denison, IA | 26 / 27 (615.2228) | 25 (151.4056) | 21 (158.2284) | 23 (156.5144) | 27 (149.0744) |
| 2018-06-22 | *Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Sioux City, IA | — | 14 (147.3944) | 1 (174.3316) | — | — |
| 2017-09-22 | Tri City BBQ Fest Denison, IA | 30 / 37 (636.4804) | 34 (153.1316) | 30 (161.1316) | 28 (159.9428) | 20 (162.2744) |
| 2017-06-23 | Rib Fest 2017(BACKYARD) Sioux, IA | — | 4 (164.0456) | 2 (179.4400) | — | — |
| 2016-09-16 | Tri City BBQ Fest Denison, IA | 30 / 34 (613.6912) | 10 (168.0344) | 25 (156.5256) | 31 (145.6912) | 32 (143.4400) |
| Camp High Hopes Rib Fest(BACKYARD ONLY) Sioux City, IA | 4 / 14 (318.8112) | 7 (154.2512) | 2 (164.5600) | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #207 (149 pts) | #189 (194 pts) | #242 (129 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #238 (170 pts) | #243 (170 pts) | #292 (140 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #179 (188 pts) | #217 (163 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #247 (72 pts) | #156 (152 pts) | — | — |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #2568 (52 pts) | #2565 (52 pts) | #1945 (72 pts) | #2021 (62 pts) | #2560 (52 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #2212 (60 pts) | #2286 (60 pts) | #2304 (60 pts) | #2260 (60 pts) | #2109 (85 pts) |