High-water mark
678.1484
career-best overall
94.2% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 678.1484 at Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard — 94.2% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- Sep 20, 2024
SWEET CLEAVER BBQ
SWEET CLEAVER BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 14 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2024. Their best overall finish is 5th of 16 at the Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) (2023). They are ranked #2874 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1509
peak 1509 · rated over 9 contests
Contests
14
in the data
First seen
Sep 19, 2014
latest Sep 20, 2024 · 10 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
0 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
7% of 14 contests
Avg finish
top 60%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
662.49 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 656.72 (+5.78)
Walk rate
21%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±14.38
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 167.97 · weakest Brisket (160.38)
Road miles
546
across 14 mapped stops · furthest 305 mi
Schedule strength
68%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1586)
Purse competed for
$26K
listed at 6 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 4 state-championship entries
Master avg
656.72 / 720
8 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
330.26 / 360
1 Backyard contest · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master 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.
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 ↗ | Backyard | — | — | #423 (57 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #1182 (60 pts) | #958 (125 pts) | #1096 (117 pts) | #1231 (60 pts) | #1204 (60 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #216 (191 pts) | #269 (126 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1232 (65 pts) | #1158 (100 pts) | #863 (199 pts) | #1287 (60 pts) | #1072 (115 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1698 (55 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1189 (92 pts) | — | — |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | — | — | #764 (113 pts) | — | — |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1849 (75 pts) | #1413 (155 pts) | #1399 (155 pts) | #2029 (60 pts) | #2010 (60 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1476 (130 pts) | #1452 (155 pts) | #1771 (110 pts) | #1946 (75 pts) | #1388 (175 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1483 (174 pts) | #1584 (169 pts) | #1451 (194 pts) | #1411 (199 pts) | #1552 (174 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #2967 (53 pts) | #2957 (53 pts) | #2260 (78 pts) | #2226 (78 pts) | #2131 (98 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to SWEET CLEAVER BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
99 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,877 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1509
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to SWEET CLEAVER BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team SWEET CLEAVER BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,868 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1515
Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 14, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#2,873 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1515
Level with SWEET CLEAVER BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#2,886 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 22%
- Peak
- 1529
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 5 years before SWEET CLEAVER BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#2,866 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1515
Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 8 years before SWEET CLEAVER BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#2,883 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1509
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| iBQ'n | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| GREY STREET BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| Mac Attack BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| BO B Q BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| FIREHOUSE SMOKE | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 177.7028 | 150.8228 | 167.97 | top 46% |
| Pork Ribs | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 173.7144 | 158.8116 | 165.61 | top 56% |
| Pork | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 171.4056 | 154.7656 | 161.46 | top 70% |
| Brisket | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 169.6800 | 149.0628 | 160.38 | top 62% |
“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) | 1 | 0 | top 31% |
| Medium (20–39) | 6 | 0 | top 65% |
| Large (40+) | 2 | 0 | top 57% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockin BBQ | 3 | 11 | 0 | top 43% | May 10, 2019 |
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | 2 | 23 | 0 | top 89% | Jul 14, 2017 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2023
3 contests
Contests a season
1.4
across 10 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
IN
12 of 14 contests · 3 states in all
Contests visited
6
2 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
14 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls
Opponents faced
199
finished ahead 121 times, behind 173
Longest layoff
1.8 yrs
Sep 19, 2014 → Jul 15, 2016
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20244 milestones
- Career-best overall score678.1484 Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard
- Career-best single call (Chicken)177.7028 Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard
- Peak power rating (1509) Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard
- Most recent contest Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard
20232 milestones
- 10th tracked contest Rocking BBQ Warsaw (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- First overall top-10 Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
20181 milestone
- First call Rockin BBQ
20171 milestone
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score663.2916 Rockin BBQ
20141 milestone
- First tracked contest Blazin' BBQ & Bluegrass
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +12 | Rockin BBQ | May 11, 2018 |
| +7.3 | Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jul 15, 2023 |
| +5.8 | Rockin BBQ | May 12, 2017 |
| +3.6 | Rockin BBQ | May 10, 2019 |
| +0.4 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard | Sep 20, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8.2 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | Jul 15, 2016 |
| -7.5 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | Jul 14, 2017 |
| -2.7 | Blazin' BBQ & Bluegrass | Sep 19, 2014 |
| -1.7 | Rocking BBQ Warsaw | May 19, 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 62% | 94.2% | 94.2% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 50% | 92.7% | 92.2% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 52% | 91.3% | 91.3% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 30% | 92.7% | 92.7% |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 67% | 92.1% | 90.7% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 93% | 87.8% | 87.8% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 67% | 89.7% | 89.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 20, 2024 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 36 / 58 (678.1484) | 12 (177.7028) | 26 (170.8344) | 30 (171.4056) | 50 (158.2056) |
| May 17, 2024 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw (ONE MEAT RIBS) 🏅 Warsaw, IN | — | — | 30 (159.3944) | — | — |
| Jul 15, 2023 | Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Dowagiac, MI | 5 / 16 (330.2628) | 4 (170.2856) | 9 (159.9772) | — | — |
| May 19, 2023 | Rocking BBQ Warsaw 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 24 / 35 (667.3260) | 17 (170.8228) | 13 (171.4288) | 31 (155.9200) | 14 (169.1544) |
| May 19, 2023 | Rocking BBQ Warsaw (ONE MEAT RIBS) Warsaw, IN | — | — | 20 (161.1544) | — | — |
| May 13, 2022 | 8th Annual Rockin' BBQ (One Meat Ribs) Warsaw, IN | — | — | 26 (162.2400) | — | — |
| May 14, 2021 | Rockin' BBQ - Day 1 - One Meat Rib Contest Warsaw, IN | — | — | 18 (169.1200) | — | — |
| Sep 11, 2020 | Rockin' BBQ 2 Just Another BBQ - One Meat Companion Contest Warsaw, IN | — | — | 14 (169.1084) | — | — |
| May 10, 2019 | Rockin BBQ 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 22 / 42 (657.5428) | 8 (171.9772) | 8 (173.7144) | 36 (154.7656) | 33 (157.0856) |
| May 11, 2018 | Rockin BBQ Warsaw, IN | 11 / 37 (667.3140) | 8 (169.1084) | 15 (165.6800) | 22 (162.8456) | 6 (169.6800) |
| Jul 14, 2017 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour South Bend, IN | 23 / 27 (642.1368) | 19 (165.0856) | 15 (164.5944) | 18 (161.7028) | 25 (150.7540) |
| May 12, 2017 | Rockin BBQ Warsaw, IN | 13 / 27 (663.2916) | 18 (165.0972) | 17 (163.9544) | 13 (167.4172) | 11 (166.8228) |
| Jul 15, 2016 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour South Bend, IN | 26 / 28 (632.4344) | 28 (150.8228) | 20 (158.8116) | 20 (160.5600) | 16 (162.2400) |
| Sep 19, 2014 | Blazin' BBQ & Bluegrass Plymouth, IN | 22 / 33 (645.5316) | 14 (170.8228) | 14 (168.5488) | 29 (157.0972) | 27 (149.0628) |