Ghost Hill BBQ AL
Rating
1598
peak 1610 · rated over 28 contests
Contests
29
in the data
First seen
2021-04-23
latest 2026-06-12
Best ToY finish
#71
Backyard 2024
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
3
6 podiums
Overall top-10s
8
of 29 contests
Avg finish
top 47%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
342.80 ▼
last 5 Backyard vs avg 358.77 (-15.97)
Walk rate
66%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
2
best run (overall)
Consistency
±54.31
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 169.65 · weakest Pork (165.55)
Road miles
3213
mi across 29 mapped stops · furthest 570 mi
Schedule strength
70%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1565)
Purse competed for
$202K
listed at 27 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 8 state-championship entries
Master avg
657.83 / 720
2 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
358.77 / 360
26 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.
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
Small Batch BBQ - TN has finished one call ahead of Ghost Hill BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
LEE LA Q has landed one call behind them 3 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
NORALA BBQ TEAM has come out ahead in 18 of their 24 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of JT'S SMOKE SHACK in 10 of their 10 shared contests.
😤 Pork Ribs nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, NORALA BBQ TEAM has out-cooked them in 17 of 25 shared pork ribs entries.
📅 A May team
Something about May: average finish in the top 36% across 3 contests, versus top 47% the rest of the year.
Teams like this (closest power rating, AL first)
Familiar 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 | 29 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 178.8572 | 157.0628 | 168.87 | top 58% |
| Pork Ribs | 30 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 178.8572 | 158.2056 | 169.65 | 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 state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL | 24 | 0 | top 46% |
| TN | 2 | 0 | top 28% |
| IL | 1 | 0 | top 78% |
| MS | 1 | 0 | top 67% |
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% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring 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% | 2026-06-05 |
| Poosa Q | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 30% | 2025-06-20 |
| Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 43% | 2025-03-21 |
| Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 31% | 2024-10-11 |
| Bernard Blues and BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 60% | 2024-09-06 |
| Railyard BBQ Brawl 2023 | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 105% | 2023-10-27 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2024 (13 contests)
- Cooks mostly in AL (24 of 29 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (30 entries)
- Average Master overall score: 657.83 / 720
- Average Backyard overall score: 358.77 / 360
Milestones
- 🚩 2021-04-23 — First tracked contest · Smoke on the Water Festival(BACKYARD ONLY)
- 📣 2021-04-23 — First call · Smoke on the Water Festival(BACKYARD ONLY)
- ⭐ 2021-06-18 — Career-best overall score (658.6972) · DeSoto Shrine Club 13th Annual BBQ Cook-Off
- 🎖️ 2025-03-21 — 25th tracked contest · Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 📈 2026-06-05 — Peak power rating (1610) · Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17.5 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2022-08-12 |
| +14.3 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 1 | 2024-05-03 |
| +13.1 | Bernard Blues & BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-09-05 |
| +11.3 | Poosa Q | 2024-10-04 |
| +10.8 | Railyard BBQ Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2021-10-22 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12 | Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2026-06-12 |
| -7.5 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) | 2022-06-24 |
| -6.3 | Bernard Blues and BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2023-09-08 |
| -4.5 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2024-09-13 |
| -4.1 | DeSoto Shrine Club 13th Annual BBQ Cook-Off | 2021-06-18 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% | 139.2% | 104.5% |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 75% | top 64% | 145.2% | 116.7% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-12 | Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Huntsville, AL | 25 / 31 (327.3256) | 24 (165.0856) | 27 (162.2400) | — | — |
| 2026-06-05 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Glencoe, AL | 5 / 26 (351.9772) | 11 (174.2628) | 1 (177.7144) | 12 (171.4056) | — |
| 2025-09-05 | Bernard Blues & BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Cullman, AL | 4 / 29 (349.6800) | 2 (178.8572) | 10 (170.8228) | — | — |
| 2025-06-20 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 18 / 42 (341.0740) | 10 (175.4056) | 26 (165.6684) | — | — |
| 2025-03-21 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) Athens, AL | 14 / 43 (343.9656) | 9 (172.5484) | 13 (171.4172) | — | — |
| 2024-10-11 | Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Scottsboro, AL | 12 / 38 (342.8000) | 5 (175.4172) | 15 (167.3828) | — | — |
| 2024-10-04 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 10 / 59 (348.5600) | 11 (175.4172) | 14 (173.1428) | — | — |
| 2024-09-20 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Glencoe, AL | 7 / 18 (342.8000) | 6 (173.1200) | 8 (169.6800) | 16 (161.6340) | — |
| 2024-09-13 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) Guntersville, AL | 22 / 33 (333.0628) | 26 (165.0856) | 16 (167.9772) | — | — |
| 2024-09-06 | Bernard Blues and BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Cullman, AL | 11 / 27 (343.3944) | 19 (167.9772) | 6 (175.4172) | — | — |
| 2024-05-17 | The High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Winchester, TN | 12 / 39 (342.8000) | 11 (173.1200) | 16 (169.6800) | 8 (170.8228) | — |
| 2024-05-04 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 2 Oneonta, AL | 13 / 20 (335.9316) | 14 (167.3944) | 13 (168.5372) | — | — |
| 2024-05-03 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 1 Oneonta, AL | 3 / 27 (347.3944) | 12 (170.8344) | 2 (176.5600) | — | — |
| 2024-04-26 | Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Florence, AL | 19 / 40 (338.1940) | 24 (165.0740) | 10 (173.1200) | — | — |
| 2024-04-12 | Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 13 / 31 (337.0744) | 2 (177.7028) | 19 (159.3716) | — | — |
| 2024-03-22 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) Athens, AL | 20 / 38 (336.5256) | 31 (165.0856) | 12 (171.4400) | — | — |
| 2024-03-15 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 23 / 93 (329.6112) | 27 (165.0856) | 24 (164.5256) | 31 (158.2400) | — |
| 2024-03-15 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 36 (168.5484) | — | — |
| 2023-10-27 | Railyard BBQ Brawl 2023 🏅 Madison, AL | 14 / 14 (338.8116) | 18 (167.3944) | 10 (171.4172) | — | — |
| 2023-10-13 | Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE ONLY) Scottsboro, AL | 8 / 27 (339.3716) | 8 (169.6800) | 8 (169.6916) | — | — |
| 2023-09-08 | Bernard Blues and BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Cullman, AL | 15 / 19 (325.0284) | 11 (166.8228) | 15 (158.2056) | — | — |
| 2023-08-11 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Glencoe, AL | 18 / 35 (501.0400) | 28 (165.0856) | 17 (166.2744) | 8 (169.6800) | — |
| 2022-10-28 | Railyard BBQ Brawl 🏅 Madison, AL | 11 / 10 (329.6576) | 26 (158.8116) | 7 (170.8460) | — | — |
| 2022-08-12 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY) Glencoe, AL | 2 / 35 (522.8344) | 10 (170.8572) | 1 (178.8572) | 10 (173.1200) | — |
| 2022-08-05 | Back to School Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) Madison, AL | 13 / 21 (499.3024) | 10 (169.6684) | 15 (162.7884) | 12 (166.8456) | — |
| 2022-06-24 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 28 / 36 (656.9600) | 28 (165.0972) | 13 (170.8572) | 36 (150.1944) | 14 (170.8112) |
| 2021-10-22 | Railyard BBQ Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Madison, AL | 7 / 30 (342.8000) | 16 (166.2400) | 1 (176.5600) | — | — |
| 2021-06-18 | 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) |
| 2021-04-23 | Smoke on the Water Festival(BACKYARD ONLY) Florence, AL | 12 / 29 (337.1316) | 20 (164.5716) | 5 (172.5600) | — | — |
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 | #155 (232 pts) | #188 (182 pts) | #129 (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) | — | — |