They almost always walk
66%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 19 of 29 contests
A top-10 category call in 66% of their 29 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
Ghost Hill BBQ
Ghost Hill BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 29 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2021 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 35 at the Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY) (2022), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1027 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1602
peak 1615 · rated over 28 contests
Contests
29
in the data
First seen
Apr 23, 2021
latest Jun 12, 2026 · 5.1 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
3
6 podiums
Overall top-10s
8
28% of 29 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 47%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
342.80 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 339.35 (+3.46)
Walk rate
66%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±6.96
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 169.69 · weakest Pork (165.55)
Road miles
3,213
across 29 mapped stops · furthest 570 mi
Schedule strength
58%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1574)
Purse competed for
$202K
listed at 27 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 8 state-championship entries
Master avg
657.83 / 720
2 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
339.35 / 360
23 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
507.73 / 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #168 (232 pts) | #207 (182 pts) | #144 (332 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #138 (414 pts) | #112 (534 pts) | #176 (309 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #71 (760 pts) | #58 (850 pts) | #64 (817 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1317 (60 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #133 (416 pts) | #135 (476 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Ghost Hill BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
#1,025 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 43%
- Peak
- 1612
1–3 in 4 shared contests (25% to Ghost Hill BBQ)
These two have cooked 4 of the same contests — Mind if I Smoke? ahead 3–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,028 of the rated field
- Contests
- 31
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1602
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 31 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,029 of the rated field
- Contests
- 41
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1603
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 41 contests to 29.
⚔ Compare careers#1,026 of the rated field
- Contests
- 71
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 30%
- Peak
- 1617
71 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 30% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#1,033 of the rated field
- Contests
- 37
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1604
2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to Ghost Hill BBQ)
Level with Ghost Hill BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,024 of the rated field
- Contests
- 48
- GCs
- 4
- Top-10s
- 46%
- Peak
- 1651
2–3 in 5 shared contests (40% to Ghost Hill BBQ)
These two have cooked 5 of the same contests — The Real Squeal BBQ ahead 3–2 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NORALA BBQ TEAM | 24 | 6 | 18 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| LEE LA Q | 21 | 10 | 11 | 48% | ⚔ compare |
| Deviant Smoke | 20 | 7 | 13 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | 18 | 4 | 14 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| Modest Meats | 16 | 11 | 5 | 69% | ⚔ compare |
| Bentley Que | 16 | 6 | 10 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| 2 Swine Crew | 16 | 5 | 11 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | 16 | 2 | 14 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Rollin Smoke BBQ | 15 | 4 | 11 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| Say My Name BBQ | 13 | 7 | 6 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| Small Batch BBQ - TN | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| Hickory Hangover | 13 | 2 | 11 | 15% | ⚔ compare |
| LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| Pork Life | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| Mad Rocket Barbecue | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 28 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 178.8572 | 157.0628 | 168.88 | top 58% |
| Pork Ribs | 29 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 178.8572 | 158.2056 | 169.69 | top 41% |
| Pork | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 173.1200 | 150.1944 | 165.55 | top 49% |
| Brisket | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170.8112 | 163.9428 | 167.38 | top 53% |
“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) | 4 | 0 | top 82% |
| Medium (20–39) | 18 | 0 | top 41% |
| Large (40+) | 6 | 0 | top 39% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) | 4 | 2 | 0 | top 29% | Jun 5, 2026 |
| Poosa Q | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 30% | Jun 20, 2025 |
| Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 43% | Mar 21, 2025 |
| Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 31% | Oct 11, 2024 |
| Bernard Blues and BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 60% | Sep 6, 2024 |
| Railyard BBQ Brawl 2023 | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 105% | Oct 27, 2023 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
13 contests
Contests a season
4.8
across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
AL
24 of 29 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited
20
6 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
29 entries · 3 wins · 12 calls
Opponents faced
528
finished ahead 690 times, behind 461
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Peak power rating (1615) Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE)
- Most recent contest Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY)
20252 milestones
- 25th tracked contest Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Career-best single call (Chicken)178.8572 Bernard Blues & BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
20231 milestone
- 10th tracked contest Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE ONLY)
20222 milestones
- First overall podium Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First Reserve Championship Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY)
20216 milestones
- First tracked contest Smoke on the Water Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First call Smoke on the Water Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score337.1316 Smoke on the Water Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Career-best overall score658.6972 DeSoto Shrine Club 13th Annual BBQ Cook-Off
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Railyard BBQ Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall top-10 Railyard BBQ Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17.8 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 12, 2022 |
| +14.3 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 1 | May 3, 2024 |
| +13.1 | Bernard Blues & BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 5, 2025 |
| +11.7 | Poosa Q | Oct 4, 2024 |
| +10.9 | Railyard BBQ Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | Oct 22, 2021 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.3 | Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jun 12, 2026 |
| -6.4 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) | Jun 24, 2022 |
| -6.2 | Bernard Blues and BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 8, 2023 |
| -4.5 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 13, 2024 |
| -2.9 | DeSoto Shrine Club 13th Annual BBQ Cook-Off | Jun 18, 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% | top 50% | 97.8% | 94.3% |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 30% | 97.1% | 95.8% |
| 2024 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 54% | top 39% | 96.8% | 94.4% |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 75% | top 65% | 94.3% | 92.9% |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 75% | top 64% | 96.8% | 93% |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 67% | top 44% | 95.2% | 93.5% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 12, 2026 | Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Huntsville, AL | 25 / 31 (327.3256) | 24 (165.0856) | 27 (162.2400) | — | — |
| Jun 5, 2026 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Glencoe, AL | 5 / 26 (351.9772) | 11 (174.2628) | 1 (177.7144) | 12 (171.4056) | — |
| Sep 5, 2025 | Bernard Blues & BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Cullman, AL | 4 / 29 (349.6800) | 2 (178.8572) | 10 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 18 / 42 (341.0740) | 10 (175.4056) | 26 (165.6684) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) Athens, AL | 14 / 43 (343.9656) | 9 (172.5484) | 13 (171.4172) | — | — |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Scottsboro, AL | 12 / 38 (342.8000) | 5 (175.4172) | 15 (167.3828) | — | — |
| Oct 4, 2024 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 10 / 59 (348.5600) | 11 (175.4172) | 14 (173.1428) | — | — |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Glencoe, AL | 7 / 18 (342.8000) | 6 (173.1200) | 8 (169.6800) | 16 (161.6340) | — |
| Sep 13, 2024 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) Guntersville, AL | 22 / 33 (333.0628) | 26 (165.0856) | 16 (167.9772) | — | — |
| Sep 6, 2024 | Bernard Blues and BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Cullman, AL | 11 / 27 (343.3944) | 19 (167.9772) | 6 (175.4172) | — | — |
| May 17, 2024 | The High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Winchester, TN | 12 / 39 (342.8000) | 11 (173.1200) | 16 (169.6800) | 8 (170.8228) | — |
| May 4, 2024 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 2 Oneonta, AL | 13 / 20 (335.9316) | 14 (167.3944) | 13 (168.5372) | — | — |
| May 3, 2024 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 1 Oneonta, AL | 3 / 27 (347.3944) | 12 (170.8344) | 2 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Apr 26, 2024 | Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Florence, AL | 19 / 40 (338.1940) | 24 (165.0740) | 10 (173.1200) | — | — |
| Apr 12, 2024 | Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 13 / 31 (337.0744) | 2 (177.7028) | 19 (159.3716) | — | — |
| Mar 22, 2024 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) Athens, AL | 20 / 38 (336.5256) | 31 (165.0856) | 12 (171.4400) | — | — |
| Mar 15, 2024 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 23 / 93 (329.6112) | 27 (165.0856) | 24 (164.5256) | 31 (158.2400) | — |
| Mar 15, 2024 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 36 (168.5484) | — | — |
| Oct 27, 2023 | Railyard BBQ Brawl 2023 🏅 Madison, AL | 14 / 14 (338.8116) | 18 (167.3944) | 10 (171.4172) | — | — |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE ONLY) Scottsboro, AL | 8 / 27 (339.3716) | 8 (169.6800) | 8 (169.6916) | — | — |
| Sep 8, 2023 | Bernard Blues and BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Cullman, AL | 15 / 19 (325.0284) | 11 (166.8228) | 15 (158.2056) | — | — |
| Aug 11, 2023 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Glencoe, AL | 18 / 35 (501.0400) | 28 (165.0856) | 17 (166.2744) | 8 (169.6800) | — |
| Oct 28, 2022 | Railyard BBQ Brawl 🏅 Madison, AL | 11 / 10 (329.6576) | 26 (158.8116) | 7 (170.8460) | — | — |
| Aug 12, 2022 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY) Glencoe, AL | 2 / 35 (522.8344) | 10 (170.8572) | 1 (178.8572) | 10 (173.1200) | — |
| Aug 5, 2022 | Back to School Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) Madison, AL | 13 / 21 (499.3024) | 10 (169.6684) | 15 (162.7884) | 12 (166.8456) | — |
| Jun 24, 2022 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 28 / 36 (656.9600) | 28 (165.0972) | 13 (170.8572) | 36 (150.1944) | 14 (170.8112) |
| Oct 22, 2021 | Railyard BBQ Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Madison, AL | 7 / 30 (342.8000) | 16 (166.2400) | 1 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Jun 18, 2021 | DeSoto Shrine Club 13th Annual BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Nesbit, MS | 32 / 48 (658.6972) | 42 (157.0628) | 21 (169.7144) | 21 (167.9772) | 32 (163.9428) |
| Apr 23, 2021 | Smoke on the Water Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Florence, AL | 12 / 29 (337.1316) | 20 (164.5716) | 5 (172.5600) | — | — |