Morning Wood BBQ

Morning Wood BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 25 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 7th of 21 at the 1st Annual Greenport Harbor Beer, BBQ & Blues (2015). They are ranked #4195 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#4,195

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1479

peak 1512 · rated over 20 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 17, 2013

latest Aug 15, 2026 · 13.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#428

Master 2025 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

6 podiums

Overall top-10s

8% of 25 contests

Avg finish

top 61%

overall standings

Best overall

683.3256 / 720

Master · Kora Kares for Kids

Perfect 180s

Current form

677.18 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 659.68 (+17.50)

Walk rate

68%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.2972

Pork · Trillium BBQ Throwdown

Consistency

±23.14

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 166.68 · weakest Pork Ribs (161.88)

Road miles

8,925

across 25 mapped stops · furthest 1,962 mi

Schedule strength

34%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1546)

Purse competed for

$63K

listed at 16 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 13 state-championship entries

Master avg

659.68 / 720

18 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

229.98 / 360

2 Backyard contests · 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.

Storylines (13 found in their record)

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

They almost always walk

68% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 17 of 25 contests

A top-10 category call in 68% of their 25 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

683.3256 career-best overall

94.9% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 683.3256 at Kora Kares for Kids — 94.9% of a perfect 720.

Master
Aug 15, 2026

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

American Barbecue Company has finished one call ahead of Morning Wood BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

12–1 behind in the head-to-head

PADDY MCQ'S ahead in 92% of their meetings

PADDY MCQ'S has come out ahead in 12 of their 13 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.8 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.80 points below their brisket, and turns into a call 23% of the time against 61%.

Pork Ribs avg 161.88
Brisket avg 166.68
5 calls in 22 entries

A strong matchup

8–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Hillside BBQ in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The comeback

5.9 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 5.9 years, then back at HOGS 4 HEROES (May 6, 2023).

last seen May 26, 2017
back May 6, 2023

Show 6 more storylines

Brisket nemesis

9 of 13 shared brisket entries lost

ELJEFE SMOKE ahead 69% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, ELJEFE SMOKE has out-cooked them in 9 of 13 shared brisket entries.

Going the wrong way

-28 rating points in a year

The rating has slipped 28 points across 6 contests since Aug 16, 2025 — from 1507 down to 1479.

6 contests since Aug 16, 2025
now 1479

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Meat Monarchy has landed one call behind them 2 times.

Boom or bust

±10.22% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±10.22% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.

averages 88.8% of a perfect score
best 94.9%

A May team

Top 49% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 49% across 9 contests, versus top 61% the rest of the year.

9 May contests
top 61% the rest of the year

The long haul

8,925 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 8,925 miles across 25 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,962 miles to The Wind Rider Music & BBQ Festival (WFC QUALIFIER).

25 mapped stops
furthest 1,962 mi

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 ↗	Master	#683 (176 pts)	#727 (191 pts)	#585 (324 pts)	#502 (356 pts)	#469 (396 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#428 (466 pts)	#414 (556 pts)	#407 (601 pts)	#380 (591 pts)	#361 (626 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#468 (410 pts)	#418 (534 pts)	#376 (634 pts)	#423 (505 pts)	#389 (575 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#1255 (60 pts)	#1319 (60 pts)	#1432 (60 pts)	#695 (235 pts)	#1296 (60 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Morning Wood BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Silva Back BBQ

#4,187 of the rated field

1479 power rating

Contests: 5
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1479

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to Morning Wood BBQ)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Morning Wood BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 5 contests
last seen Jul 18, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

Papa Linda's Barbecue

#4,220 of the rated field

1479 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1526

They've been 1526 at their best, 47 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Jul 28, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

Simply Smoked

#4,194 of the rated field

1479 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 15%
Peak: 1500

Careers of much the same size, 20 contests to 25, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Jun 5, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

TIKI QUE

#4,200 of the rated field

1479 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1479

Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 9 years before Morning Wood BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 17 contests

⚔ Compare careers

Smokin Bros

#4,198 of the rated field

1479 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1518

16 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 16 contests
last seen Apr 10, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Smokin' Blind

#4,207 of the rated field

1479 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1479

Level with Morning Wood BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Jun 26, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Mullen It Over BBQ	13	9	4	69%	⚔ compare
ELJEFE SMOKE	13	3	10	23%	⚔ compare
PADDY MCQ'S	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
Let It Smoke Barbecue	12	4	8	33%	⚔ compare
FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
STICKS & STONES BBQ	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
American Barbecue Company	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
Q Shanty	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare
HOG WASH BBQ	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
Hillside BBQ	8	8	0	100%	⚔ compare
Half-Inked BBQ	8	7	1	88%	⚔ compare
Q42	8	7	1	88%	⚔ compare
CANYON RIDERS BBQ	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	22	5	0	0	173.1200	147.4172	164.82	top 59%
Pork Ribs	22	5	0	1	176.0344	132.0012	161.88	top 62%
Pork	18	8	1	3	178.2972	139.4282	166.46	top 44%
Brisket	18	11	0	2	176.5600	150.8116	166.68	top 37%

“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
Medium (20–39)	15	0	top 66%
Large (40+)	5	0	top 46%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MA	8	top 55%
IL	2	top 94%
ME	2	top 47%
MN	2	top 34%
NH	1	top 76%
CT	1	top 86%
RI	1	top 66%
NM	1	top 72%
NY	1	top 33%
IA	1	top 89%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Massachusetts in May (Day 2)	4	9	top 47%	May 17, 2025
Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)	2	29	top 94%	Aug 15, 2026
Kora Kares for Kids	2	16	top 47%	Aug 15, 2026
Trillium BBQ Throwdown	2	13	top 75%	Aug 8, 2026

More numbers

Busiest season 2024 7 contests

Contests a season 3.6 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MA 12 of 25 contests · 10 states in all

Contests visited 14 4 of them more than once

Opponents faced 342 finished ahead 273 times, behind 384

Longest layoff 5.9 yrs May 26, 2017 → May 6, 2023

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

20265 milestones

Aug 8 First category win (Pork) Trillium BBQ Throwdown
Aug 8 Career-best single call (Pork)178.2972 Trillium BBQ Throwdown
Aug 15 25th tracked contest Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
Aug 15 Career-best overall score683.3256 Kora Kares for Kids
Aug 15 Most recent contest Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)

20241 milestone

Jun 1 10th tracked contest Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES

20151 milestone

Jun 27 First overall top-10 1st Annual Greenport Harbor Beer, BBQ & Blues

20134 milestones

May 17 First tracked contest Minnesota in May
May 17 First overall past 90% of a perfect score665.1428 Minnesota in May
May 31 First call Smokin' in Steele
May 31 Peak power rating (1512) Smokin' in Steele

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+9.2	Massachusetts in May (Day 2)	May 17, 2025
+7.9	1st Annual Greenport Harbor Beer, BBQ & Blues	Jun 27, 2015
+7.2	Smokin' in Steele	May 31, 2013
+5.9	Kora Kares for Kids	Aug 16, 2025
+5.3	Massachusetts in May (Day 1)	May 16, 2025

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.5	Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)	Aug 15, 2026
-13.1	Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)	Sep 5, 2025
-11.7	State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship	Jun 14, 2013
-9	Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1)	Apr 12, 2024
-6.8	Trillium BBQ Throwdown	Aug 8, 2026

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)
2026	6	0	1	67%	top 71%	94.9%	82.4%
2025	6	1	0	83%	top 55%	94.7%	91.4%
2024	7	0	0	57%	top 66%	93.6%	91.5%
2023	1	0	0	100%	top 66%	89.8%	89.8%
2017	1	0	0	100%	top 72%	89.5%	89.5%
2015	1	1	0	100%	top 33%	88.2%	88.2%
2013	3	0	0	33%	top 52%	92.4%	88.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Aug 15, 2026	Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Park Ridge, IL	29 / 30 (172)	6 (172)	—	—	—
Aug 15, 2026	Kora Kares for Kids 🏅 Hiram, ME	28 / 51 (683.3256)	39 (166.2628)	34 (166.2400)	13 (174.2628)	5 (176.5600)
Aug 8, 2026	Trillium BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Canton, MA	21 / 25 (667.3828)	24 (159.4056)	23 (158.8344)	1 (178.2972)	6 (170.8456)
May 16, 2026	Mass in May (Day 2) 🏅 Wrentham, MA	15 / 31 (678.2060)	23 (162.2516)	8 (173.7144)	20 (166.8228)	3 (175.4172)
May 16, 2026	Mass in May (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Wrentham, MA	—	21 (161.6800)	—	—	—
May 16, 2026	Mass in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) Wrentham, MA	—	—	12 (168)	—	—
Sep 5, 2025	Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Park Ridge, IL	35 / 38 (287.9544)	33 (147.4172)	35 (140.5372)	—	—
Aug 16, 2025	Kora Kares for Kids 🏅 Hiram, ME	16 / 40 (679.9428)	15 (173.1200)	29 (162.2628)	17 (168)	4 (176.5600)
Aug 16, 2025	Kora Kares for Kids (ONE MEAT RIBS) Hiram, ME	—	—	2 (176.0344)	—	—
Aug 9, 2025	Trillium BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Canton, MA	13 / 20 (677.0400)	7 (172.5600)	9 (170.8344)	16 (163.3828)	9 (170.2628)
May 17, 2025	Massachusetts in May (Day 2) 🏅 Wrentham, MA	9 / 29 (681.6344)	9 (171.9772)	27 (159.3828)	2 (178.2972)	7 (171.9772)
May 16, 2025	Massachusetts in May (Day 1) 🏅 Wrentham, MA	12 / 27 (676.5256)	7 (171.9656)	16 (166.8572)	8 (169.7372)	10 (167.9656)
Oct 26, 2024	Weekend of Giving 🏅 Wrentham, MA	13 / 25 (666.1944)	14 (168)	14 (165.6916)	14 (168.5256)	13 (163.9772)
Oct 25, 2024	Weekend of Giving (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Wrentham, MA	—	11 (169.7028)	—	—	—
Oct 25, 2024	Weekend of Giving (ONE MEAT RIBS) Wrentham, MA	—	—	5 (174.3200)	—	—
Jun 1, 2024	Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Merrimack, NH	28 / 37 (652.5028)	19 (168.0228)	30 (162.8456)	10 (170.8228)	36 (150.8116)
May 18, 2024	Massachusetts in May (Day 2) 🏅 Wrentham, MA	20 / 31 (673.6116)	23 (165.0972)	11 (171.9772)	22 (164.5372)	3 (172)
May 17, 2024	Massachusetts in May (Day 1) 🏅 Wrentham, MA	15 / 30 (668.4804)	15 (166.8572)	12 (169.1316)	9 (170.8228)	19 (161.6688)
Apr 12, 2024	Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Bristol, CT	25 / 29 (632.9260)	28 (154.8000)	25 (158.2516)	26 (158.2172)	18 (161.6572)
May 6, 2023	HOGS 4 HEROES 🏅 Jamestown, RI	33 / 50 (646.2516)	36 (161.1660)	43 (151.3828)	3 (174.8456)	29 (158.8572)
May 26, 2017	The Wind Rider Music & BBQ Festival (WFC QUALIFIER) Ruidoso, NM	26 / 36 (644.6056)	20 (165.7256)	27 (153.7488)	30 (154.2512)	8 (170.8800)
Jun 27, 2015	1st Annual Greenport Harbor Beer, BBQ & Blues Peconic, NY	7 / 21 (634.7660)	9 (164.0116)	10 (162.7884)	9 (153.1316)	7 (154.8344)
Jun 14, 2013	State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship State Center, IA	25 / 28 (588.5716)	18 (158.2854)	27 (132.0012)	26 (139.4282)	16 (158.8568)
May 31, 2013	Smokin' in Steele Owatonna, MN	15 / 51 (657.1428)	44 (155.9998)	31 (158.8572)	6 (172.5714)	10 (169.7144)
May 17, 2013	Minnesota in May Faribault, MN	19 / 49 (665.1428)	12 (169.7142)	37 (157.7144)	11 (170.2856)	17 (167.4286)

Morning Wood BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

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

Backyard avg

Storylines (13 found in their record)

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Brisket nemesis

Going the wrong way

Looking over their shoulder

Boom or bust

A May team

The long haul

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)