Sons of Smoke

Sons of Smoke is a competition barbecue team with 40 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2024. Their best overall finish is 4th of 17 at the Grills Gone Wild BBQ Fest (2014). They are ranked #1649 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,649

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1555

peak 1578 · rated over 40 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 3, 2013

latest May 17, 2024 · 11 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#439

Master 2014 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

13 podiums

Overall top-10s

20% of 40 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 52%

overall standings

Best overall

691.9200 / 720

Master · Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass

Perfect 180s

Current form

667.76 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 666.24 (+1.52)

Walk rate

65%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

179.4400

Pork Ribs · WNC BBQ Festival-

Consistency

±16.12

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 167.72 · weakest Pork Ribs (165.64)

Road miles

7,093

across 40 mapped stops · furthest 763 mi

Schedule strength

54%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1569)

Purse competed for

$58K

listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 5 state-championship entries

Master avg

666.24 / 720

40 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (12 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

They almost always walk

65% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 26 of 40 contests

A top-10 category call in 65% of their 40 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

691.9200 career-best overall

96.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 691.9200 at Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass — 96.1% of a perfect 720.

Master
May 20, 2016

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

PULL MY MEAT has finished one call ahead of Sons of Smoke 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2019 their best year

2019 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 36%.

3 contests
1 overall top-10
0 category wins
average top 36%

A tough matchup

25–1 behind in the head-to-head

Under the Radar ahead in 96% of their meetings

Under the Radar has come out ahead in 25 of their 26 shared contests.

A strong matchup

23–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 96% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of CAUGHT BY THE FIRE in 23 of their 24 shared contests.

The comeback

2.9 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.9 years, then back at Sevierville's Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Festival (May 20, 2022).

last seen Jul 12, 2019
back May 20, 2022

Show 5 more storylines

Pork nemesis

19 of 29 shared pork entries lost

SOGGY BOTTOM SMOKERS ahead 66% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SOGGY BOTTOM SMOKERS has out-cooked them in 19 of 29 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

JACK'S OLD SOUTH has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A September team

Top 41% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 41% across 6 contests, versus top 52% the rest of the year.

6 September contests
top 52% the rest of the year

The long haul

7,093 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 7,093 miles across 40 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 763 miles to City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival.

40 mapped stops
furthest 763 mi

The metronome

±2.24% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.24% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 92.5% of a perfect score
40 contests

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
2022 ↗	Master	#1145 (100 pts)	#1306 (70 pts)	#989 (160 pts)	#1654 (55 pts)	#954 (140 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#794 (371 pts)	#985 (286 pts)	#1006 (286 pts)	#911 (331 pts)	#587 (576 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1221 (196 pts)	#1099 (261 pts)	#1170 (241 pts)	#840 (406 pts)	#1250 (211 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#874 (413 pts)	#829 (473 pts)	#770 (523 pts)	#705 (588 pts)	#1021 (343 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#632 (610 pts)	#835 (455 pts)	#457 (885 pts)	#436 (940 pts)	#796 (475 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#506 (746 pts)	#334 (1,091 pts)	#634 (616 pts)	#420 (896 pts)	#456 (826 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#439 (886 pts)	#496 (781 pts)	#462 (861 pts)	#568 (691 pts)	#340 (1,066 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Sons of Smoke, each with one reason worth a look.

38 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

POKE N SMOKE

#1,653 of the rated field

1555 power rating

Contests: 65
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1642

They've been 1642 at their best, 88 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 65 contests
last seen May 1, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Whimpy's BBQ

#1,654 of the rated field

1555 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1564

Fewer contests behind them than Sons of Smoke has cooked, 24 to 40, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 24 contests
last seen Aug 8, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

Hillbilly Hoggers

#1,655 of the rated field

1555 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1567

19 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 21% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Jun 6, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

GRILLA WARFARE BBQ

#1,644 of the rated field

1555 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 67%
Peak: 1555

6 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Oct 21, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

DAND BBQ

#1,652 of the rated field

1555 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1559

Their last contest in the data was back in 2015, 9 years before Sons of Smoke's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 14 contests

⚔ Compare careers

RENEGADE BBQ

#1,651 of the rated field

1555 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1555

They turned up 9 years after Sons of Smoke did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Sep 11, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SOGGY BOTTOM SMOKERS	29	8	21	28%	⚔ compare
SMOKE ON THIS	28	7	21	25%	⚔ compare
Under the Radar	26	1	25	4%	⚔ compare
CAUGHT BY THE FIRE	24	23	1	96%	⚔ compare
CONTAGIOUS Q	24	7	17	29%	⚔ compare
RIVER ROAD GRILLBILLIES	23	8	15	35%	⚔ compare
DIRTY OL' BUTT SLAPPERS	22	8	14	36%	⚔ compare
HOGGY BOTTOM BOYS	21	13	8	62%	⚔ compare
FIREHOUSE SMOKERS TN	21	7	14	33%	⚔ compare
Chairman of the Boar	20	8	12	40%	⚔ compare
BAR-B-Q 101	18	9	9	50%	⚔ compare
PARADISE QUE	17	17	0	100%	⚔ compare
Q SMOKE	16	9	7	56%	⚔ compare
K-TOWN DADDY'S BBQ	16	6	10	38%	⚔ compare
THE ALGOOD BAR-B-Q PIT CREW	16	5	11	31%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	40	7	1	3	178.8572	151.4286	167.23	top 55%
Pork Ribs	40	8	1	3	179.4400	148.4800	165.64	top 54%
Pork	40	12	0	4	177.7144	152.5144	167.72	top 47%
Brisket	40	9	0	3	177.7028	147.8856	165.66	top 52%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 24%
Medium (20–39)	19	top 57%
Large (40+)	20	top 48%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
TN	31	top 55%
GA	3	top 52%
TX	3	top 28%
NC	2	top 32%
KY	1	top 69%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Blount County BBQ Bash	4	9	top 53%	Jun 21, 2019
Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass	4	14	top 46%	May 17, 2019
Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off & Cruise In	3	12	top 71%	Jul 12, 2019
City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival	3	7	top 28%	Sep 3, 2016
Bar-B-Cure	2	8	top 53%	Nov 18, 2016
WNC BBQ Festival-	2	13	top 32%	Jul 22, 2016
Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass	2	10	top 54%	May 20, 2016
Tony Stone-Cookeville Cookoff	2	9	top 30%	Sep 11, 2015
Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash	2	28	top 60%	Jul 25, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2015 8 contests

Contests a season 4.4 across 9 seasons in the data

Most contests held in TN 31 of 40 contests · 5 states in all

Contests visited 25 9 of them more than once

Opponents faced 614 finished ahead 816 times, behind 791

Longest layoff 2.9 yrs Jul 12, 2019 → May 20, 2022

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

20241 milestone

May 17 Most recent contest Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival

20164 milestones

May 20 Career-best overall score691.9200 Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass
Jul 22 25th tracked contest WNC BBQ Festival-
Jul 22 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)179.4400 WNC BBQ Festival-
Sep 3 Peak power rating (1578) City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival

20151 milestone

Sep 11 First category win (Chicken) Tony Stone-Cookeville Cookoff

20142 milestones

Aug 30 First overall top-10 City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival
Aug 30 10th tracked contest City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival

20133 milestones

May 3 First tracked contest West Knoxville RotaryBBQ Cookoff
Jul 26 First call Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash
Jul 26 First overall past 90% of a perfect score663.3372 Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.4	City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival	Aug 30, 2014
+11.9	Tony Stone-Cookeville Cookoff	Sep 5, 2014
+11.4	Grills Gone Wild BBQ Fest	Sep 12, 2014
+11.3	Bar-B-Cure	Nov 20, 2015
+9.6	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass	May 20, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.9	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass	May 17, 2013
-10.1	Bar-B-Cure	Nov 18, 2016
-9.4	Cookeville Cookoff	Sep 6, 2013
-8.7	Blount County BBQ Bash	Jun 23, 2017
-8.6	Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival	May 17, 2024

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2024	1	0	0	0%	top 87%	88.3%	88.3%
2022	1	0	0	100%	top 53%	93.7%	93.7%
2019	3	1	0	100%	top 36%	94.3%	93.9%
2018	3	0	0	67%	top 74%	92.5%	91.1%
2017	5	1	0	60%	top 64%	94%	92.6%
2016	7	1	1	71%	top 45%	96.1%	93.8%
2015	8	2	1	88%	top 39%	95.3%	94%
2014	8	3	0	50%	top 45%	95.4%	92.1%
2013	4	0	0	25%	top 74%	92.1%	89%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 17, 2024	Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival 🏅 Sevierville, TN	27 / 31 (635.7832)	19 (167.3944)	28 (159.3600)	29 (152.5144)	26 (156.5144)
May 20, 2022	Sevierville's Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Festival 🏅 Sevierville, TN	16 / 30 (674.7432)	22 (165.0972)	7 (173.1316)	26 (163.3828)	9 (173.1316)
Jul 12, 2019	Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off & Cruise In 🏅 Jamestown, TN	12 / 29 (679.3140)	18 (169.6684)	14 (169.6800)	26 (163.9428)	4 (176.0228)
Jun 21, 2019	Blount County BBQ Bash 🏅 Maryville, TN	9 / 27 (675.3028)	19 (165.6800)	12 (167.3944)	13 (167.9656)	2 (174.2628)
May 17, 2019	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass 🏅 Sevierville, TN	14 / 43 (673.6684)	14 (170.2628)	28 (162.2628)	7 (171.4172)	13 (169.7256)
Jun 22, 2018	Blount County BBQ Bash Maryville, TN	27 / 36 (650.7088)	10 (170.8800)	32 (155.3716)	28 (161.6572)	24 (162.8000)
May 18, 2018	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	30 / 43 (651.2112)	27 (165.0856)	13 (169.7144)	18 (168.5256)	42 (147.8856)
Apr 28, 2018	Atlanta BBQ Classic Atlanta, GA	20 / 26 (666.0912)	22 (162.7884)	23 (163.9428)	2 (175.4172)	18 (163.9428)
Jul 9, 2017	Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off & Cruise In (Day 2) Jamestown, TN	27 / 30 (663.8400)	26 (166.8228)	29 (160.5144)	17 (170.8228)	23 (165.6800)
Jul 8, 2017	Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-Off & Cruise In (DAY 1) Jamestown, TN	29 / 36 (664.4460)	30 (166.2516)	24 (166.2516)	19 (169.7028)	28 (162.2400)
Jun 23, 2017	Blount County BBQ Bash Maryville, TN	27 / 35 (652.4112)	30 (163.4056)	19 (165.6800)	5 (174.2744)	35 (149.0512)
May 19, 2017	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	18 / 49 (676.9940)	8 (174.2628)	24 (166.2400)	22 (167.9656)	25 (168.5256)
Apr 22, 2017	Atlanta BBQ Classic (At Atlanta Motor Speedway) Hampton, GA	8 / 23 (675.8744)	8 (169.6800)	2 (176.5600)	8 (169.6800)	15 (159.9544)
Nov 18, 2016	Bar-B-Cure Knoxville, TN	24 / 29 (665.0168)	25 (163.9428)	7 (172.5828)	26 (161.1200)	15 (167.3712)
Sep 3, 2016	City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival Bedford, TX	19 / 58 (663.4172)	27 (165.6800)	27 (163.4628)	14 (171.4056)	28 (162.8688)
Jul 22, 2016	WNC BBQ Festival- Maggie Valley, NC	13 / 49 (679.2912)	44 (160.5028)	1 (179.4400)	12 (171.9656)	29 (167.3828)
Jun 24, 2016	Big BBQ Bash Maryville, TN	11 / 31 (686.7772)	22 (169.1084)	10 (172.5716)	2 (177.7144)	15 (167.3828)
Jun 3, 2016	Fire in the Valley Red Bank BBQ Red Bank(Chattanooga), TN	29 / 39 (663.2568)	34 (163.9312)	22 (169.1084)	15 (169.6800)	33 (160.5372)
May 20, 2016	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	10 / 46 (691.9200)	18 (170.8344)	12 (174.2628)	2 (176.5600)	20 (170.2628)
Apr 29, 2016	BBQ Boogie & Blues (GBC Qualifier) Calhoun, GA	15 / 35 (677.0516)	14 (171.9656)	15 (169.6916)	10 (170.8228)	25 (164.5716)
Nov 20, 2015	Bar-B-Cure Knoxville, TN	8 / 35 (684.4800)	2 (176.5600)	4 (174.2628)	12 (170.8344)	21 (162.8228)
Sep 11, 2015	Tony Stone-Cookeville Cookoff Cookeville, TN	12 / 31 (686.1828)	1 (178.8572)	23 (167.3828)	18 (167.9772)	17 (171.9656)
Sep 4, 2015	City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival Bedford, TX	30 / 70 (654.2748)	32 (165.0972)	51 (157.1544)	8 (172.0116)	39 (160.0116)
Jul 24, 2015	WNC BBQ Festival Maggie Valley, NC	18 / 49 (670.7428)	12 (171.9656)	34 (161.6688)	37 (161.6912)	3 (175.4172)
Jun 26, 2015	Blount County BBQ Bash Maryville, TN	10 / 38 (682.7428)	16 (171.9656)	18 (163.3944)	2 (176.5600)	15 (170.8228)
May 29, 2015	The Rotary Club of Bearden - Que Fest Knoxville, TN	19 / 39 (683.9316)	34 (162.2744)	24 (167.3944)	5 (176.5600)	5 (177.7028)
May 15, 2015	Sevierville Bloomin' BBQ and Bluegrass Festival Sevierville, TN	19 / 44 (679.3028)	7 (175.4172)	27 (166.2400)	14 (171.4056)	33 (166.2400)
Apr 17, 2015	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	33 / 59 (674.1140)	18 (173.1084)	31 (167.3944)	30 (168.5256)	41 (165.0856)
Sep 12, 2014	Grills Gone Wild BBQ Fest Greeneville, TN	4 / 17 (678.1944)	3 (176.5716)	4 (172)	9 (170.8228)	14 (158.8000)
Sep 5, 2014	Tony Stone-Cookeville Cookoff Cookeville, TN	9 / 41 (686.8000)	24 (167.9884)	3 (174.8572)	20 (169.6800)	8 (174.2744)
Aug 30, 2014	City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival Bedford, TX	7 / 76 (666.3088)	27 (164.5944)	35 (161.1544)	23 (166.8456)	3 (173.7144)
Jul 25, 2014	Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash Cleveland, TN	33 / 49 (658.6852)	38 (161.6684)	38 (161.6340)	30 (164.5256)	12 (170.8572)
Jun 27, 2014	Blount County BBQ Bash Maryville, TN	23 / 39 (649.5888)	23 (166.8456)	28 (161.1316)	38 (154.2288)	16 (167.3828)
May 30, 2014	The Rotary Club of West Knoxville - Rocky Top Hummin' & Strummin' BBQ Cook-Off Knoxville, TN	30 / 48 (654.6968)	17 (170.2628)	31 (163.3944)	31 (164.5256)	41 (156.5140)
May 16, 2014	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	25 / 56 (669.0056)	23 (167.9772)	32 (163.9428)	18 (170.2628)	23 (166.8228)
Mar 28, 2014	Grills Gone Wild BBQ Festival London, KY	29 / 42 (639.2572)	24 (165.6800)	37 (148.4800)	41 (153.0856)	9 (172.0116)
Sep 6, 2013	Cookeville Cookoff Cookeville, TN	36 / 42 (642.6628)	39 (157.6456)	33 (161.0972)	30 (165.0972)	32 (158.8228)
Jul 26, 2013	Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash Cleveland, TN	28 / 54 (663.3372)	50 (157.0856)	46 (158.2516)	4 (174.2972)	7 (173.7028)
May 17, 2013	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	41 / 47 (632.5710)	32 (162.8572)	24 (165.1428)	44 (156.5712)	45 (147.9998)
May 3, 2013	West Knoxville RotaryBBQ Cookoff Knoxville, TN	32 / 46 (625.7138)	40 (151.4286)	37 (152.5714)	31 (156.5710)	13 (165.1428)

Sons of Smoke

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (12 found in their record)

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A September team

The long haul

The metronome

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

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

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)