High-water mark
501.6804
career-best overall
92.9% of a perfect 540
Their best day on record: 501.6804 at Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY) — 92.9% of a perfect 540.
- Backyard
- Sep 23, 2022
Grumpy Ol' Sarge BBQ
Grumpy Ol' Sarge BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 21 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2021 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 10th of 20 at the Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) (2023). They are ranked #6247 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1416
peak 1416 · rated over 21 contests
Contests
21
in the data
First seen
Mar 26, 2021
latest Jun 13, 2026 · 5.2 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
0 podiums
Overall top-10s
2
10% of 21 contests
Avg finish
top 78%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
297.48 ▼
last 5 Backyard vs avg 308.30 (-10.82)
Walk rate
24%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±10.41
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 160.65 · weakest Pork Ribs (153.87)
Road miles
1,651
across 21 mapped stops · furthest 221 mi
Schedule strength
61%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1577)
Purse competed for
$119K
listed at 20 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 20 state-championship entries
Backyard avg
308.30 / 360
16 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
439.15 / 540
5 Backyard (3-meat) contests · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (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 | #254 (116 pts) | #248 (121 pts) | #265 (121 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #222 (184 pts) | #226 (189 pts) | #244 (184 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #149 (390 pts) | #155 (385 pts) | #128 (435 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #151 (322 pts) | #169 (292 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #148 (253 pts) | #160 (243 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #104 (301 pts) | #125 (208 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Grumpy Ol' Sarge BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
28 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#6,250 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1508
They've been 1508 at their best, 92 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#6,249 of the rated field
- Contests
- 23
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 13%
- Peak
- 1416
Careers of much the same size, 23 contests to 21, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#6,246 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1416
28 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 7% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#6,252 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1416
Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before Grumpy Ol' Sarge BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#6,248 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1416
They were already cooking in 2013, 8 years before Grumpy Ol' Sarge BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#6,253 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1416
Level with Grumpy Ol' Sarge BBQ 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capt. Blue BBQ | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| 4 BOXERS Q | 12 | 4 | 7 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| CHUNKY BBQ | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| All About the Wood | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Leaning Jowler BBQ | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Zoni-Q | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| MRC_Barbecue | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| Dogpatch Q | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | 10 | 2 | 7 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Oink N' Doink BBQ | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| Top Gun Barbecue | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| Brewski's BBQ Competition Team | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 168.5716 | 142.1600 | 154.40 | top 77% |
| Pork Ribs | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 162.8572 | 141.0632 | 153.87 | top 77% |
| Pork | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 172.5944 | 150.2400 | 160.65 | top 41% |
“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 139% |
| Medium (20–39) | 12 | 0 | top 70% |
| Large (40+) | 5 | 0 | top 49% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 7 | 19 | 0 | top 119% | Jun 13, 2026 |
| New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) | 3 | 11 | 0 | top 41% | Apr 20, 2024 |
| Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) | 2 | 28 | 0 | top 97% | Jul 25, 2025 |
| Smoke in the Grove (Day 1) | 2 | 30 | 0 | top 56% | Jul 29, 2022 |
| BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) | 2 | 22 | 0 | top 53% | Mar 27, 2021 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
5 contests
Contests a season
3.5
across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
PA
11 of 21 contests · 5 states in all
Contests visited
10
5 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
21 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls
Opponents faced
360
finished ahead 288 times, behind 784
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest York County BBQ Festival (Day 2)
20231 milestone
- 10th tracked contest Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1)
20223 milestones
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score501.6804 Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Career-best overall score501.6804 Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Career-best single call (Pork)172.5944 Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY)
20214 milestones
- First tracked contest BBQ Gives Back (Day 1)
- Peak power rating (1500) BBQ Gives Back (Day 1)
- First call Smokin' on the Buffalo BBQ Brawl - Day 1
- First overall top-10 Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +7.3 | New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 1-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES | Apr 22, 2022 |
| +5.6 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) | Apr 21, 2023 |
| +5.3 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash | Jun 18, 2021 |
| +1.7 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) | Apr 20, 2024 |
| +0.4 | Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) | May 5, 2023 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.6 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) | Jun 27, 2025 |
| -9.8 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) | Jun 28, 2024 |
| -9.7 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) | Jul 25, 2025 |
| -9.7 | Smokin' on the Buffalo BBQ Brawl - Day 1 | May 14, 2021 |
| -9.6 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) | Jun 28, 2025 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 134% | 83.3% | 83.2% |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 135% | 83.5% | 82.3% |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 73% | 90.6% | 88% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 53% | 88.4% | 85.6% |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 54% | 92.9% | 88.7% |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40% | top 55% | 88.9% | 80.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 2026 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 23 / 13 (298.7540) | 23 (150.8228) | 23 (147.9312) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 23 / 25 (299.9656) | 22 (143.3940) | 22 (156.5716) | — | — |
| Jul 25, 2025 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 34 / 30 (300.4688) | 34 (159.4056) | 34 (141.0632) | — | — |
| Jun 28, 2025 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 20 / 10 (295.2456) | 20 (150.2056) | 20 (145.0400) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 24 / 26 (292.9600) | 23 (146.7772) | 24 (146.1828) | — | — |
| Jul 26, 2024 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 28 / 35 (322.2516) | 28 (159.9544) | 27 (162.2972) | — | — |
| Jun 29, 2024 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 19 / 19 (326.1944) | 19 (166.2400) | 19 (159.9544) | — | — |
| Jun 28, 2024 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 27 / 29 (310.2284) | 29 (147.3712) | 17 (162.8572) | — | — |
| Apr 20, 2024 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 11 / 27 (312.5144) | 11 (157.1200) | 12 (155.3944) | — | — |
| Apr 19, 2024 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 15 / 29 (312.4688) | 16 (151.9544) | 13 (160.5144) | — | — |
| Jun 16, 2023 | York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA | 23 / 29 (318.2056) | 24 (156.5028) | 19 (161.7028) | — | — |
| May 5, 2023 | Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Lincoln, DE | 10 / 20 (291.8288) | 11 (142.1600) | 10 (149.6688) | — | — |
| Apr 21, 2023 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 11 / 36 (314.8000) | 6 (166.8572) | 14 (147.9428) | — | — |
| Sep 23, 2022 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY) Ashland, VA | 16 / 20 (501.6804) | 14 (168.5716) | 20 (160.5144) | 5 (172.5944) | — |
| Jul 29, 2022 | Smoke in the Grove (Day 1) 🏅 Spring Grove, PA | 30 / 54 (469.6228) | 36 (145.6572) | 24 (157.7028) | 13 (166.2628) | — |
| Apr 22, 2022 | New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 1-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 13 / 48 (310.1600) | 15 (152.5028) | 12 (157.6572) | — | — |
| Jul 30, 2021 | Smoke in the Grove 🏅 Spring Grove, PA | 30 / 54 (306.8000) | 28 (154.2400) | 30 (152.5600) | 22 (155.3600) | — |
| Jun 18, 2021 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Roanoke, WV | 10 / 28 (319.8972) | 9 (161.6800) | 11 (158.2172) | — | — |
| May 14, 2021 | Smokin' on the Buffalo BBQ Brawl - Day 1 🏅 Mannington, WV | 14 / 18 (465.6688) | 14 (152.5256) | 14 (152.5832) | 10 (160.5600) | — |
| Mar 27, 2021 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 23 / 40 (307.3940) | 19 (157.1540) | — | 23 (150.2400) | — |
| Mar 26, 2021 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 22 / 46 (451.3600) | 21 (151.4056) | 24 (141.0972) | 19 (158.8572) | — |