House of Hawg

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#3209

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1500

peak 1511 · rated over 11 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2017-07-28

latest 2023-07-28

Best ToY finish

#856

Master 2020

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 12 contests

Avg finish

top 56%

overall standings

Best overall

646.2400 / 720

Master · Gettysburg BBQ Festival Day 1

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

394.88 ▲

last 5 Backyard vs avg 386.21 (+8.67)

Walk rate

42%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Chicken · Smoke in the Grove (Day 1)

Consistency

±81.18

std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 165.16 · weakest Brisket (154.02)

Road miles

352

mi across 12 mapped stops · furthest 88 mi

Schedule strength

59%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1575)

Purse competed for

$80K

listed at 9 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 9 state-championship entries

Master avg

635.45 / 720

5 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

386.21 / 360

6 Backyard contests · 0 GCs

Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is 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.

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (10 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

The heartbreaker

1.1544 points from the title

Came within 1.1544 points of the Grand Championship at York County BBQ Festival (2020-06-26).

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180s

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.

Chicken ×1

A tough matchup

7–1 behind in the head-to-head

3 EYZ BBQ ahead in 88% of their meetings

3 EYZ BBQ has come out ahead in 7 of their 8 shared contests.

The weak link

−11.1 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 11.14 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 36%.

Brisket avg 154.02
Chicken avg 165.16
0 calls in 5 entries

A strong matchup

7–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 78% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SOUTH BOWIE SMOKE in 7 of their 9 shared contests.

The comeback

2.3 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.3 years, then back at *Smoke in the Grove(JUDGES FULL) (2017-07-28).

last seen 2015-04-10
back 2017-07-28

Chicken nemesis

7 of 10 shared chicken entries lost

Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit ahead 70% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit has out-cooked them in 7 of 10 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

50 Shades of Pork has landed one call behind them 2 times.

Boom or bust

±19.18% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±19.18% 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 98.6% of a perfect score
best 140.1%

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Smoke in the Grove (Day 2) every year from 2017 to 2020 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 13th

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

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

CRESCENT MOON BBQ

#3219 of the rated field

1500 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1521

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to House of Hawg)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team House of Hawg has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 17 contests
last seen 2021-06-18

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN GNOME BBQ

#3224 of the rated field

1499 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 34
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1574

2–2 in 4 shared contests (50% to House of Hawg)

They've been 1574 at their best, 74 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 34 contests
last seen 2021-09-24

⚔ Head-to-head

ULTIMATE TAILGATE

#3203 of the rated field

1500 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1505

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 12, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2021-09-16

⚔ Head-to-head

PEARL SNAPS BBQ

#3201 of the rated field

1500 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1503

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 4 years before House of Hawg's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 12 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Screamin Nite Hog BBQ

#3222 of the rated field

1499 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1531

No shared contest yet.

13 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 23% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2024-08-30

⚔ Head-to-head

IT'S GOOD ENOUGH

#3217 of the rated field

1500 ▼ 0 power rating

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

No shared contest yet.

Level with House of Hawg on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2026-08-07

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare
SOUTH BOWIE SMOKE	9	7	2	78%	⚔ compare
4 BOXERS Q	9	5	4	56%	⚔ compare
DRILLING & GRILLING	9	2	6	22%	⚔ compare
BAR-B-QUE MAYHAM	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
3 EYZ BBQ	8	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ	7	5	2	71%	⚔ compare
BIG BOB'S SMOKIN QUE	7	5	2	71%	⚔ compare
BIG DOG BBQ VA	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
Pig Candy Barbeque Co.	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
Sasquatch BBQ	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
REDNECK SMOKE CLUB	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	11	4	1	1	180.0000 🔥	154.2056	165.16	top 43%
Pork Ribs	11	3	1	1	174.8572	152.0460	163.32	top 43%
Pork	7	0	0	0	168.5828	150.1944	158.73	top 65%
Brisket	5	0	0	0	164.5600	147.9772	154.02	top 76%

“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 contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	2	0	top 84%
Large (40+)	9	0	top 49%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke in the Grove (Day 2)	6	13	0	top 61%	2022-07-30
York County BBQ Festival	2	2	0	top 43%	2023-06-16

The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 6 yrs 2017-07-28 → 2023-07-28

Busiest season 2023 2 contests

Contests a season 1.5 across 8 seasons in the data

Cooks most in PA 11 of 12 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 5 2 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 11 entries · 1 win · 4 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 165.16 · weakest Brisket (154.02)

Walk rate 42% a top-10 call in 5 of 12 contests

Overall top-10 rate 17% 2 of 12 contests

Master average 635.45 out of 720 · 5 contests · 0 GCs

Backyard average 386.21 out of 360 · 6 contests · 0 GCs

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 295 307–419 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 352 12 mapped stops · furthest 88 mi

Schedule strength 1575 average field rating faced — tougher than 59% of rated contests

Purse competed for $79,825 listed at 9 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 9 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 2.3 yrs 2015-04-10 → 2017-07-28

Power rating 1500 peak 1511 · #3209 of 6,413 rated

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

2015
Apr 10 First tracked contest Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival
2018
Jul 27 First call Smoke in the Grove
2019
May 24 Career-best overall score646.2400 Gettysburg BBQ Festival Day 1
2020
Jun 26 First category win (Pork Ribs) York County BBQ Festival
Jun 26 First overall top-10 York County BBQ Festival
Jun 26 First overall podium York County BBQ Festival
Jun 26 First Reserve Championship York County BBQ Festival
Jun 26 First overall past 90% of a perfect score342.8572 York County BBQ Festival
2022
Jul 29 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Smoke in the Grove (Day 1)
Jul 30 10th tracked contest Smoke in the Grove (Day 2)
Jul 30 Peak power rating (1511) Smoke in the Grove (Day 2)
2023
Jul 28 Most recent contest Smoke on the Rail (Day 1)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+18	York County BBQ Festival	2020-06-26
+9.8	Smoke in the Grove (Day 1)	2022-07-29
+8.7	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke	2021-05-14
+2.1	Smoke in the Grove	2018-07-27
+1.8	Smoke in the Grove (Day 2)	2022-07-30

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.9	Smoke in the Grove	2020-07-24
-9.5	York County BBQ Festival	2023-06-16
-8.9	Smoke in the Grove	2019-07-26
-4.5	Gettysburg BBQ Festival Day 1	2019-05-24
-3.6	*Smoke in the Grove(JUDGES FULL)	2017-07-28

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2023	2	0	0	0%	top 68%	90.6%	89.3%
2022	2	0	1	100%	top 35%	140.1%	139%
2021	1	1	0	100%	top 20%	91.7%	91.7%
2020	2	1	1	50%	top 48%	95.2%	90.7%
2019	2	0	0	0%	top 80%	89.8%	89%
2018	1	0	0	100%	top 59%	89.2%	89.2%
2017	1	0	0	0%	top 71%	87.9%	87.9%
2015	1	0	0	0%	—	—	—

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2023-07-28	Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	27 / 51 (326.2056)	14 (168.5256)	26 (157.6800)	—	—
2023-06-16	York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA	24 / 29 (317.0400)	25 (154.2056)	17 (162.8344)	—	—
2022-07-30	Smoke in the Grove (Day 2) 🏅 Spring Grove, PA	19 / 42 (496.4684)	7 (173.1200)	18 (163.9656)	22 (159.3828)	—
2022-07-29	Smoke in the Grove (Day 1) 🏅 Spring Grove, PA	13 / 54 (504.4800)	1 (180.0000)	16 (165.6800)	29 (158.8000)	—
2021-05-14	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke 🏅 Morgantown, PA	9 / 46 (330.2060)	8 (166.2516)	9 (163.9544)	—	—
2020-07-24	Smoke in the Grove 🏅 Spring Grove, PA	55 / 59 (619.8056)	54 (154.2628)	27 (163.4172)	59 (150.1944)	50 (151.9312)
2020-06-26	York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA	2 / 53 (342.8572)	5 (168.0000)	1 (174.8572)	—	—
2019-07-26	Smoke in the Grove 🏅 Spring Grove, PA	40 / 53 (635.8972)	16 (168.5600)	32 (159.4516)	37 (158.8000)	42 (149.0856)
2019-05-24	Gettysburg BBQ Festival Day 1 🏅 Gettysburg, PA	28 / 33 (646.2400)	20 (166.2628)	22 (163.4172)	13 (168.5828)	33 (147.9772)
2018-07-27	Smoke in the Grove Spring Grove, PA	32 / 54 (642.2628)	38 (157.0856)	7 (169.1772)	34 (159.4400)	41 (156.5600)
2017-07-28	*Smoke in the Grove(JUDGES FULL) Spring Grove, PA	36 / 51 (633.0632)	34 (160.5144)	43 (152.0460)	39 (155.9428)	21 (164.5600)
2015-04-10	Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival Harrington, DE	—	—	—	—	—

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

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

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2021 ↗	Backyard	—	#177 (136 pts)	#187 (126 pts)	—	—
2020 ↗	Backyard	—	#58 (171 pts)	#38 (271 pts)	—	—
2020 ↗	Master	#856 (60 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#913 (60 pts)	#899 (60 pts)	#883 (60 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1955 (60 pts)	#1763 (105 pts)	#2026 (60 pts)	#2029 (60 pts)	#2010 (60 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1954 (60 pts)	#2012 (60 pts)	#1433 (165 pts)	#2030 (60 pts)	#1990 (60 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#2212 (60 pts)	#2286 (60 pts)	#2304 (60 pts)	#2260 (60 pts)	#2136 (80 pts)