The heartbreaker
1.7028
points from the title
Came within 1.7028 points of the Grand Championship at Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Dorchester Shrine Club (Mar 19, 2021).
KenzielouQ
KenzielouQ is a competition barbecue team with 19 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2020 and 2024. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1 (2020), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #2690 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1514
peak 1579 · rated over 18 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
19
in the data
First seen
Aug 7, 2020
latest Oct 11, 2024 · 4.2 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
1 reserve · wins it all 5% of the time
Category wins
3
9 podiums
Overall top-10s
8
42% of 19 contests
Best top-10 run
4
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 49%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
662.58 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 664.49 (-1.91)
Walk rate
74%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±14.48
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 168.36 · weakest Pork (163.93)
Road miles
3,487
across 19 mapped stops · furthest 898 mi
Schedule strength
75%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1596)
Purse competed for
$110K
listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
won from 18 state-championship entries
Master avg
664.49 / 720
8 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
339.52 / 360
5 Backyard contests · 1 GC
Backyard (3-meat) avg
494.90 / 540
6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #857 (129 pts) | #950 (129 pts) | #1086 (119 pts) | #841 (164 pts) | #887 (134 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #900 (133 pts) | #919 (153 pts) | #984 (158 pts) | #976 (123 pts) | #759 (213 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #652 (273 pts) | #743 (243 pts) | #858 (203 pts) | #755 (233 pts) | #403 (578 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #28 (995 pts) | #49 (726 pts) | — | — |
| 2020 ↗ | Backyard | — | #13 (814 pts) | #12 (724 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to KenzielouQ, each with one reason worth a look.
114 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,709 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 13%
- Peak
- 1513
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to KenzielouQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team KenzielouQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,692 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 13%
- Peak
- 1513
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to KenzielouQ)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,696 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 12%
- Peak
- 1555
Careers of much the same size, 17 contests to 19, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#2,698 of the rated field
- Contests
- 23
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1528
23 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 9% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#2,703 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1537
They were already cooking in 2013, 7 years before KenzielouQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#2,712 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1524
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 5 years before KenzielouQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | 15 | 2 | 13 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG DOG BBQ VA | 11 | 8 | 3 | 73% | ⚔ compare |
| Ham Squad | 11 | 5 | 6 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN SKULLIES | 11 | 4 | 7 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| Bowmans Butt & BBQ | 11 | 4 | 7 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| LEM'S MEAT VARNISH | 11 | 4 | 7 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| CHUNKY BBQ | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| D’Qued Barbeque | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | 9 | 7 | 1 | 78% | ⚔ compare |
| GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Dogpatch Q | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | 9 | 2 | 6 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 19 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 176 | 157.6796 | 168.36 | top 42% |
| Pork Ribs | 19 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 176.0116 | 156.5944 | 165.64 | top 54% |
| Pork | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 175.4056 | 154.8228 | 163.93 | top 56% |
| Brisket | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 175.4056 | 158.2400 | 168.04 | top 51% |
“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) | 5 | 1 | top 53% |
| Medium (20–39) | 10 | 0 | top 55% |
| Large (40+) | 4 | 0 | top 29% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 66% | Apr 7, 2023 |
| BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 26% | Mar 27, 2021 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2021
6 contests
Contests a season
3.8
across 5 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
NC
8 of 19 contests · 5 states in all
Contests visited
17
2 of them more than once
First title
Aug 7, 2020
BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1
Opponents faced
376
finished ahead 458 times, behind 390
Longest layoff
1.4 yrs
May 6, 2023 → Sep 20, 2024
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20241 milestone
- Most recent contest Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down
20221 milestone
- Career-best overall score683.3256 Mission Farm's King of the Farm
20214 milestones
- First Reserve Championship Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Dorchester Shrine Club
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)176.0116 Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Dorchester Shrine Club
- Peak power rating (1579) BBQ Gives Back (Day 2)
- 10th tracked contest Smokin' on the Buffalo BBQ Brawl - Day 2
20208 milestones
- First tracked contest BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1
- First call BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1
- First overall top-10 BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1
- First overall podium BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1
- First Grand Championship BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1
- First state championship BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score345.0972 BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1
- First category win (Chicken) BBQ WYTHE US DAY 2
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +18.6 | BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1 | Aug 7, 2020 |
| +15.6 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Dorchester Shrine Club | Mar 19, 2021 |
| +14.8 | The Nightmare Before Zom-B-Q | Oct 29, 2020 |
| +10.3 | Mission Farm's King of the Farm | Mar 18, 2022 |
| +9.5 | Zom-B-Q | Oct 30, 2020 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13.9 | City of Welch Coalfields Cook-off | Jun 11, 2021 |
| -13.6 | Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition | Apr 8, 2022 |
| -10.7 | Smokin' on the Buffalo BBQ Brawl - Day 2 | May 15, 2021 |
| -10.3 | Pigmaster BBQ Challenge | Sep 20, 2024 |
| -8.4 | Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 2 | May 6, 2023 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 87% | 90.4% | 89.9% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 69% | 94.8% | 93.4% |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 54% | 94.9% | 92.7% |
| 2021 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 100% | top 47% | 95.4% | 92.1% |
| 2020 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 100% | top 19% | 95.9% | 93.8% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 11, 2024 | Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down 🏅 Rocky Mount, NC | 21 / 26 (643.7936) | 21 (157.6796) | 23 (159.3484) | 14 (168.5256) | 20 (158.2400) |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Pigmaster BBQ Challenge 🏅 Rutherford College, NC | 31 / 33 (650.6400) | 29 (163.9312) | 26 (163.3828) | 29 (160.5144) | 29 (162.8116) |
| May 6, 2023 | Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 2 🏅 Kannapolis, NC | 20 / 23 (670.1256) | 16 (170.8228) | 15 (169.1200) | 22 (162.7884) | 17 (167.3944) |
| May 5, 2023 | Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 🏅 Kannapolis, NC | 26 / 35 (665.5772) | 31 (165.0856) | 31 (163.9544) | 28 (162.8344) | 12 (173.7028) |
| Apr 7, 2023 | Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Stem, NC | 13 / 28 (682.7884) | 12 (174.2628) | 21 (166.8916) | 6 (175.4056) | 23 (166.2284) |
| May 13, 2022 | Jiggy With The Piggy 🏅 Kannapolis, NC | 23 / 46 (671.9084) | 30 (165.1084) | 31 (162.8228) | 22 (169.1200) | 4 (174.8572) |
| Apr 8, 2022 | Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Stem, NC | 31 / 36 (647.7940) | 31 (159.9428) | 20 (166.2400) | 33 (155.9312) | 15 (165.6800) |
| Mar 18, 2022 | Mission Farm's King of the Farm 🏅 Iron Station, NC | 9 / 33 (683.3256) | 12 (170.8228) | 25 (166.8228) | 17 (170.2744) | 2 (175.4056) |
| Jun 11, 2021 | City of Welch Coalfields Cook-off 🏅 Welch, WV | 14 / 15 (327.3484) | 14 (162.2284) | 11 (165.1200) | 9 (166.2744) | — |
| May 15, 2021 | Smokin' on the Buffalo BBQ Brawl - Day 2 Mannington, WV | 11 / 15 (492.0116) | 2 (176) | 12 (156.5944) | 11 (159.4172) | — |
| May 14, 2021 | Smokin' on the Buffalo BBQ Brawl - Day 1 🏅 Mannington, WV | 10 / 18 (492.5376) | 2 (170.8688) | 12 (164.5372) | 11 (157.1316) | — |
| Mar 27, 2021 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 9 / 40 (499.3484) | 6 (170.2628) | 7 (169.7256) | 17 (159.3600) | — |
| Mar 26, 2021 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 14 / 46 (492.5256) | 10 (165.1084) | 20 (158.8228) | 5 (168.5944) | — |
| Mar 19, 2021 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Dorchester Shrine Club 🏅 Summerville, SC | 2 / 26 (343.4172) | 2 (167.4056) | 1 (176.0116) | — | — |
| Nov 13, 2020 | Second Annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition 🏅 unrated Mayetta, KS | 11 / 94 (340.0232) | 6 (173.1428) | 16 (166.8804) | — | — |
| Oct 30, 2020 | Zom-B-Q 🏅 Wytheville, VA | 9 / 33 (493.6456) | 12 (166.8112) | 14 (158.8572) | 4 (167.9772) | — |
| Oct 29, 2020 | The Nightmare Before Zom-B-Q 🏅 Wytheville, VA | 5 / 33 (499.3600) | 4 (169.1200) | 1 (175.4172) | 15 (154.8228) | — |
| Aug 8, 2020 | BBQ WYTHE US DAY 2 🏅 Wythe, VA | 6 / 17 (341.7256) | 1 (176) | 11 (165.7256) | — | — |
| Aug 7, 2020 | BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1 🏅 Wythe, VA | 1 / 19 (345.0972) | 2 (174.2628) | 2 (170.8344) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.