PALMETTO MOONLIGHT SMOKERS

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

Power ranking

#6096

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1426

peak 1426 · rated over 8 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-07-10

latest 2023-07-06

Best ToY finish

#2158

Master 2015

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 9 contests

Avg finish

top 91%

overall standings

Best overall

600.8568 / 720

Master · SC Festival Of Discovery

Perfect 180s

Current form

584.81

last 5 Master vs avg 584.81 (+0.00)

Walk rate

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

164.5716

Pork · SC Festival of Discovery (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL)

Consistency

±10.52

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 154.48 · weakest Brisket (135.78)

Road miles

mi across 9 mapped stops

Schedule strength

50%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1565)

Purse competed for

$90K

listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 4 state-championship entries

Master avg

584.81 / 720

8 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (7 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 one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

SMALL TOWN BAR-B-QUE has finished one call ahead of PALMETTO MOONLIGHT SMOKERS 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

8–0 behind in the head-to-head

ELITE BBQ SMOKERS ahead in 100% of their meetings

ELITE BBQ SMOKERS has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The weak link

−18.7 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 18.70 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 0%.

Brisket avg 135.78
Chicken avg 154.48
0 calls in 8 entries

A strong matchup

5–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 71% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of THE SMOKIN' GRILL in 5 of their 7 shared contests.

The comeback

2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2 years, then back at SC Festival Of Discovery (2018-07-12).

last seen 2016-07-07
back 2018-07-12

Chicken nemesis

8 of 8 shared chicken entries lost

ELITE BBQ SMOKERS ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, ELITE BBQ SMOKERS has out-cooked them in 8 of 8 shared chicken entries.

The metronome

±1.46% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.46% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 81.2% of a perfect score
9 contests

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.

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

BUTTS R US

#6092 of the rated field

1426 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1426

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to PALMETTO MOONLIGHT SMOKERS)

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

rated over 24 contests
last seen 2019-10-11

⚔ Head-to-head

Wine Me, Dine Me and Swine Me

#6088 of the rated field

1426 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 44
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1574

0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to PALMETTO MOONLIGHT SMOKERS)

They've been 1574 at their best, 147 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 44 contests
last seen 2026-08-07

⚔ Head-to-head

Cowboy Joe's Catering

#6098 of the rated field

1426 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1426

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2013, 10 years before PALMETTO MOONLIGHT SMOKERS's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 7 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN ROSES

#6091 of the rated field

1426 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1426

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 9, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2024-05-17

⚔ Head-to-head

Team BoyBQ

#6089 of the rated field

1426 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1426

No shared contest yet.

Level with PALMETTO MOONLIGHT SMOKERS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2023-07-14

⚔ Head-to-head

Pig Riggin BBQ

#6093 of the rated field

1426 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1426

No shared contest yet.

12 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2025-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
ELITE BBQ SMOKERS	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
PIG ON FIRE	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN SKULLIES	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
ULTIMATE TAILGATERS BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKIN' GRILL	7	5	2	71%	⚔ compare
Backwoods BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
BLIND SWINE BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
DEEP SOUTH BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
BAYOU POKER SMOKERS	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SUE E PIGG	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
OFF THE GRILL BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
BLUE SUEDE QUE	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
QUALITY QUE	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
Smoke Central BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	8	163.4628	142.2400	154.48	top 82%
Pork Ribs	8	156.6056	134.2172	142.82	top 90%
Pork	8	164.5716	139.8512	151.73	top 84%
Brisket	8	147.3944	106.1716	135.78	top 91%

“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.

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
SC Festival of Discovery	6	70	0	top 90%	2021-07-09
South Carolina Festival of Discovery	2	74	0	top 94%	2023-07-06

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 9 yrs 2014-07-10 → 2023-07-06

Busiest season 2023 1 contest

Contests a season 1 across 9 seasons in the data

Cooks most in SC 9 of 9 contests

Contests visited 2 2 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 8 entries · 0 wins · 0 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 154.48 · weakest Brisket (135.78)

Walk rate 0% a top-10 call in 0 of 9 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 9 contests

Master average 584.81 out of 720 · 8 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 292 59–621 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 0 9 mapped stops

Schedule strength 1565 average field rating faced — tougher than 50% of rated contests

Purse competed for $89,700 listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 4 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 2 yrs 2016-07-07 → 2018-07-12

Power rating 1426 peak 1426 · #6096 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Jul 11 First tracked contest SC Festival of Discovery
2014
Jul 10 Peak power rating (1488) SC Festival of Discovery
2015
Jul 9 Career-best single call (Pork)164.5716 SC Festival of Discovery (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL)
2018
Jul 12 Career-best overall score600.8568 SC Festival Of Discovery
2023
Jul 6 Most recent contest South Carolina Festival of Discovery

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

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.6	SC Festival of Discovery (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL)	2015-07-09
-12.2	SC Festival of Discovery	2014-07-10
-9.5	SC Festival of Discovery	2021-07-09
-8.9	South Carolina Festival of Discovery	2023-07-06
-8.5	South Carolina Festival of Discovery	2022-07-07

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)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2023	1	0%	top 97%	80.8%	80.8%
2022	1	0%	top 91%	79.9%	79.9%
2021	1	0%	top 93%	82%	82%
2019	1	0%	top 90%	80%	80%
2018	1	0%	top 84%	83.5%	83.5%
2016	1	0%	top 85%	83.1%	83.1%
2015	1	0%	top 97%	79.1%	79.1%
2014	1	0%	top 93%	81.5%	81.5%
2013	1	0%	—	—	—

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2023-07-06	South Carolina Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	74 / 76 (582.0684)	71 (154.2628)	65 (156.6056)	75 (139.8512)	75 (131.3488)
2022-07-07	South Carolina Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	84 / 92 (575.1084)	87 (142.2400)	83 (135.3028)	85 (152.5028)	81 (145.0628)
2021-07-09	SC Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	75 / 81 (590.1372)	54 (163.4628)	76 (134.2172)	67 (157.6800)	76 (134.7772)
2019-07-12	SC Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	75 / 83 (575.8624)	78 (144.5028)	73 (143.4284)	79 (145.6684)	75 (142.2628)
2018-07-12	SC Festival Of Discovery Greenwood, SC	75 / 89 (600.8568)	63 (159.3828)	73 (149.6684)	69 (155.9428)	82 (135.8628)
2016-07-07	SC Festival of Discovery Greenwood, SC	70 / 82 (598.1832)	68 (156.0116)	72 (150.2744)	79 (144.5028)	64 (147.3944)
2015-07-09	SC Festival of Discovery (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Greenwood, SC	87 / 90 (569.4976)	61 (160.5600)	86 (138.1944)	39 (164.5716)	89 (106.1716)
2014-07-10	SC Festival of Discovery Greenwood, SC	80 / 86 (586.7316)	73 (155.4172)	82 (134.8344)	72 (153.0972)	78 (143.3828)
2013-07-11	SC Festival of Discovery Greenwood, SC	—	—	—	—	—

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
2015 ↗	Master	#2158 (60 pts)	#2209 (60 pts)	#2209 (60 pts)	#2225 (60 pts)	#2214 (60 pts)