Sweet Cheeks BBQ

Sweet Cheeks BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 38 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2021. They have won 7 Grand Championships, most recently at the Mission Q (Backyard Only) (2019), and finished Reserve Grand Champion 3 times. They are ranked #501 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings and hold 1 all-time KCBS record.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

KCBS records held

1 🥇

best championship rate

Power ranking

#501

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1677

peak 1677 · rated over 24 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Sep 9, 2016

latest May 14, 2021 · 4.7 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#372

Master 2020 · every season

Grand champs

3 reserve · wins it all 18% of the time

Category wins

21 podiums

Overall top-10s

53% of 38 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s · 3 straight GCs

Avg finish

top 26%

overall standings

Best overall

681.0628 / 720

Master · Smoke on the Falls

Perfect 180s

2 🔥

Current form

341.32

last 5 Backyard vs avg 341.46 (-0.14)

Walk rate

55%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Chicken · Mission Q (Backyard Only)

Consistency

±9.10

spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 171.66 · weakest Pork Ribs (168.67)

Road miles

8,686

across 38 mapped stops · furthest 1,016 mi

Schedule strength

38%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1550)

Purse competed for

$181K

listed at 20 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

2 🏅

won from 12 state-championship entries

Master avg

669.76 / 720

4 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

341.46 / 360

16 Backyard contests · 5 GCs

Backyard (3-meat) avg

518.38 / 540

4 Backyard (3-meat) contests · 2 GCs

These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), 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 (15 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

1.2000 points from the title

Came within 1.2000 points of the Grand Championship at Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 1) (May 14, 2021).

Among the elite

#501 of 6,491 rated teams

In the top 8% of every rated team in the data

A power rating of 1677 puts them #501 of 6,491 rated teams — the top 8% of the field.

rating 1677
peak 1677
24 rated contests

Perfect scores on the board

2 perfect 180s

2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.

Chicken ×1
Pork Ribs ×1

Giant slayer

39 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 39-team field at High on the Hog Festival.

Apr 19, 2019

Multi-meat days

2 contests with 2+ category wins

They've won two or more meats on the same day 2 times — the best of them 2 category wins at Mission Q (Backyard Only) (Nov 22, 2019).

Chicken 1st
Pork Ribs 1st

High-water mark

681.0628 career-best overall

94.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 681.0628 at Smoke on the Falls — 94.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 18, 2020

State champions

2 state championships won

They've taken 2 state championships from 12 entries at contests carrying the title.

12 state-championship entries

Show 8 more storylines

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

RIBLIFE has finished one call ahead of Sweet Cheeks BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2019 7 Grand Championships

2019 was the year it came together: 21 contests, 7 Grand Championships and 10 category wins, at an average finish in the top 23%.

21 contests
17 overall top-10s
10 category wins
average top 23%

A tough matchup

5–2 behind in the head-to-head

HOT COLE'S BBQ ahead in 71% of their meetings

HOT COLE'S BBQ has come out ahead in 5 of their 7 shared contests.

A strong matchup

10–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 83% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of HELL ON SQUEALS in 10 of their 12 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

11 of 17 shared chicken entries lost

PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q ahead 65% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q has out-cooked them in 11 of 17 shared chicken entries.

A big fish in small ponds

Top 19% average finish in small fields

Field size changes the story: they average a top 19% finish in small fields against top 47% in large ones.

Small (<20 teams): top 19% (4)
Large (40+): top 47% (6)

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Hickory Hangover has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The long haul

8,686 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 8,686 miles across 38 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,016 miles to Smokin On The Pecos (Day 1).

38 mapped stops
furthest 1,016 mi

Holds 1 KCBS record (on 2 all-time boards)

Where this team sits in the all-time KCBS record book. A gold line is a record they hold outright; the rest are boards they are on.

🥇 🎯 Best championship rate 28% of contests won outright · 7 titles from 25 contests · May 14, 2021
#5 🏡 Highest Backyard overall score 359.4400 Backyard Series, out of 360 · won the board · Nov 22, 2019

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
2021 ↗	Master	#1236 (60 pts)	#1286 (60 pts)	#1309 (60 pts)	#943 (125 pts)	#1130 (90 pts)
2020 ↗	Backyard	—	#24 (535 pts)	#29 (395 pts)	—	—
2020 ↗	Master	#372 (293 pts)	#299 (418 pts)	#456 (258 pts)	#608 (163 pts)	#301 (403 pts)
2019 ↗	Backyard	—	#3 (535 pts)	#6 (395 pts)	—	—

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Sweet Cheeks BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

WINK'S BARBEQUE

#498 of the rated field

1677 power rating

Contests: 44
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1731

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Sweet Cheeks BBQ)

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

rated over 42 contests
last seen Jul 12, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

SWINESTONE COWBOYS

#499 of the rated field

1677 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 4
Top-10s: 70%
Peak: 1677

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 24 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 24 contests
last seen Jul 21, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

Better Half Barbecue

#503 of the rated field

1676 power rating

Contests: 42
GCs: 7
Top-10s: 74%
Peak: 1676

Careers of much the same size, 42 contests to 38, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 42 contests
last seen Oct 16, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

BBQ Pit Bros

#500 of the rated field

1677 power rating

Contests: 59
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 47%
Peak: 1692

Their rating is built on 3 Grand Championships in 59 contests, alongside a 47% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 55 contests
last seen Oct 16, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company

#502 of the rated field

1676 power rating

Contests: 100
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1676

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2016.

rated over 94 contests
last seen Aug 1, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

RUNNING STYLE BBQ - GA

#505 of the rated field

1675 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 83%
Peak: 1686

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Sweet Cheeks BBQ)

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

rated over 23 contests
last seen May 29, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
LEE LA Q	20	11	9	55%	⚔ compare
REDBONES BBQ	19	12	7	63%	⚔ compare
PERFECTLY BLENDED	18	12	6	67%	⚔ compare
PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q	17	7	10	41%	⚔ compare
RIBLIFE	14	9	5	64%	⚔ compare
Hickory Hangover	13	10	3	77%	⚔ compare
HELL ON SQUEALS	12	10	2	83%	⚔ compare
Thin Blue Swine	12	10	2	83%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
BAMA BOYS BBQ	9	8	1	89%	⚔ compare
BEES KNEES BBQ TEAM	9	5	4	56%	⚔ compare
The Specialists	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare
BUSH LEAGUE BBQ	8	7	1	88%	⚔ compare
South Pork	8	5	3	63%	⚔ compare
JIGGY PIGGY	8	5	3	63%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	25	18	6	9	180 🔥	163.9884	171.66	top 26%
Pork Ribs	25	18	3	7	180 🔥	145.6800	168.67	top 30%
Pork	11	7	2	5	178.8572	162.2400	170.89	top 28%
Brisket	4	2	0	0	175.4056	162.2400	171.26	top 35%

“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)	4	2	top 19%
Medium (20–39)	15	5	top 19%
Large (40+)	6	0	top 47%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
AL	18	5	top 26%
TN	3	1	top 37%
MS	2	1	top 18%
TX	1	0	top 6%
GA	1	0	top 32%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke on the Falls	2	8	0	top 29%	Sep 18, 2020

More numbers

Busiest season 2019 21 contests · 7 GCs

Contests a season 6.3 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in AL 25 of 38 contests · 7 states in all

Contests visited 24 1 of them more than once

First title Mar 8, 2019 Corums Building Center BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY)

Opponents faced 620 finished ahead 771 times, behind 302

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

20212 milestones

May 14 Peak power rating (1677) Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 1)
May 14 Most recent contest Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 1)

20201 milestone

Sep 18 Career-best overall score681.0628 Smoke on the Falls

201914 milestones

Feb 22 First call Bama Q Capital City Cook-Off
Mar 8 First category win (Chicken) Corums Building Center BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY)
Mar 8 First overall top-10 Corums Building Center BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY)
Mar 8 First overall podium Corums Building Center BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY)
Mar 8 First Grand Championship Corums Building Center BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY)
Mar 8 First overall past 90% of a perfect score350.2628 Corums Building Center BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY)
Apr 19 First state championship High on the Hog Festival
Apr 19 Biggest field won (39 teams) High on the Hog Festival
Jul 26 25th tracked contest Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-Off
Aug 9 First Reserve Championship Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY)
Sep 6 First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) Fire on the Mountain (BACKYARD ONLY)
Sep 6 5th Grand Championship Fire on the Mountain (BACKYARD ONLY)
Sep 13 First multi-meat day RiverFest
Nov 22 10th category win Mission Q (Backyard Only)

20181 milestone

May 18 10th tracked contest Smoke on the Diamond (BACKYARD ONLY)

20161 milestone

Sep 9 First tracked contest Decatur Jaycee's 22nd Annual Riverfest

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+18.7	High on the Hog Festival	Apr 19, 2019
+16.6	Corums Building Center BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY)	Mar 8, 2019
+14.5	Downtown BBQ Showdown (BACKYARD ONLY)	Jun 7, 2019
+13.5	Smoking for a Reason (BACKYARD ONLY)	Aug 23, 2019
+12.9	Fire on the Mountain (BACKYARD ONLY)	Sep 6, 2019

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.4	Decatur Jaycee's 22nd Annual Riverfest	Sep 9, 2016
-4.8	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival	Mar 5, 2021
-1.6	Bama Q Capital City Cook-Off	Feb 22, 2019

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	GCs	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2021	2	0	1	1	50%	top 19%	94.4%	93.5%
2020	2	0	2	0	100%	top 30%	94.6%	94.4%
2019	21	7	17	10	86%	top 23%	99.8%	93.5%
2018	5	0	0	0	0%	—	—	—
2017	7	0	0	0	0%	—	—	—
2016	1	0	0	0	0%	top 98%	88.9%	88.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 14, 2021	Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 1) 🏅 Plainview, TX	2 / 33 (333.6344)	1 (176.5600)	4 (157.0744)	—	—
Mar 5, 2021	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA	26 / 81 (679.3372)	49 (165.6800)	29 (169.1200)	12 (172.5600)	19 (171.9772)
Sep 18, 2020	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	8 / 28 (681.0628)	6 (171.9656)	6 (170.8344)	17 (162.8572)	4 (175.4056)
Feb 21, 2020	Capital City Cook Off 🏅 Montgomery, AL	8 / 25 (678.7544)	2 (176.5600)	17 (164.5488)	21 (162.2400)	4 (175.4056)
Nov 22, 2019	Mission Q (Backyard Only) Tuscumbia, AL	1 / 20 (359.4400)	1 (180)	1 (179.4400)	—	—
Nov 1, 2019	West Alabama State Fair Barbeque Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Northport, AL	2 / 15 (341.6572)	1 (176.5600)	9 (165.0972)	—	—
Oct 25, 2019	Jack Daniel's World Championship Shade Tree Contest (BACKYARD) (JUDGES FULL) Lynchburg, TN	6 / 42 (517.7028)	4 (174.2628)	13 (169.1772)	4 (174.2628)	—
Oct 11, 2019	Butlerfest 2019 (BACKYARD ONLY) Butler, AL	5 / 20 (338.2284)	3 (170.8228)	8 (167.4056)	—	—
Oct 4, 2019	Roast N Boast 🏅 Columbus, MS	8 / 25 (333.6228)	5 (169.6800)	8 (163.9428)	2 (173.1200)	—
Sep 13, 2019	RiverFest 🏅 Decatur, AL	1 / 37 (354.2744)	1 (177.7028)	1 (176.5716)	—	—
Sep 6, 2019	Fire on the Mountain (BACKYARD ONLY) Arab, AL	1 / 19 (523.3596)	4 (172.5484)	1 (180)	3 (170.8112)	—
Aug 23, 2019	Smoking for a Reason (BACKYARD ONLY) Fort Payne, AL	1 / 11 (515.3716)	1 (176.5600)	2 (169.1316)	3 (169.6800)	—
Aug 9, 2019	Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY) Glencoe, AL	2 / 26 (517.0860)	11 (170.8344)	6 (169.6916)	1 (176.5600)	—
Jul 26, 2019	Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Hartselle, AL	6 / 27 (341.7032)	8 (169.7144)	4 (171.9888)	—	—
Jun 28, 2019	Smokin On The Pecos (Day 1) 🏅 Artesia, NM	—	—	—	—	—
Jun 21, 2019	Elkmont Lions Club Smokin Railroad St. BBQ Cook-off (BACKYARD ONLY) Elkmont, AL	7 / 23 (337.0744)	13 (165.0972)	8 (171.9772)	7 (170.8228)	—
Jun 14, 2019	Poosa-Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL	16 / 48 (334.7768)	17 (166.8112)	14 (167.9656)	—	—
Jun 7, 2019	Downtown BBQ Showdown (BACKYARD ONLY) Meridian, MS	1 / 22 (343.9428)	3 (171.9772)	3 (171.9656)	—	—
May 11, 2019	Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN	39 / 41 (334.2056)	14 (168.5256)	11 (165.6800)	—	—
Apr 26, 2019	Smoke on the Water Festival (BACKYARD ONlY) Florence, AL	5 / 45 (344.5372)	9 (172.5600)	7 (171.9772)	1 (178.8572)	—
Apr 19, 2019	High on the Hog Festival 🏅 Winchester, TN	1 / 39 (349.1544)	5 (171.9772)	3 (177.1772)	—	—
Apr 12, 2019	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	9 / 30 (341.6456)	19 (166.2284)	3 (175.4172)	—	—
Apr 5, 2019	Fire at the Foothills (BACKYARD ONLY) Chelsea, AL	9 / 18 (339.9428)	9 (169.6800)	9 (170.2628)	—	—
Mar 8, 2019	Corums Building Center BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Harselle, AL	1 / 34 (350.2628)	1 (177.7028)	6 (172.5600)	—	—
Feb 22, 2019	Bama Q Capital City Cook-Off 🏅 Montgomery, AL	16 / 27 (319.3944)	9 (167.4516)	18 (151.9428)	—	—
Nov 30, 2018	Christmas on the River Demoplis, AL	—	—	—	—	—
Sep 14, 2018	Riverfest BBQ and Music Festival Decatur, AL	—	—	—	—	—
Jul 27, 2018	Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-off Hartselle, AL	—	—	—	—	—
May 18, 2018	Smoke on the Diamond (BACKYARD ONLY) Brookwood, AL	—	—	—	—	—
Apr 20, 2018	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	—	—	—	—	—
Sep 22, 2017	Smoke in the Valley Pikeville, TN	—	—	—	—	—
Sep 15, 2017	Big Brother Big Sister Riverfest Decatur, AL	—	—	—	—	—
Aug 25, 2017	Great American BBQ Festival Franklin, TN	—	—	—	—	—
Jul 28, 2017	Dodge City Days National Beef Smokin' Saddles BBQ Contest Dodge City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
Jul 28, 2017	Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-off Hartselle, AL	—	—	—	—	—
Jun 23, 2017	Smokin On The Pecos-Doubleheader-Day 1 Artesia, NM	—	—	—	—	—
May 19, 2017	Barber Q Battle (PRO/MASTER AND BACKYARD) Birmingham, AL	—	—	—	—	—
Sep 9, 2016	Decatur Jaycee's 22nd Annual Riverfest Decatur, AL	40 / 41 (639.8856)	30 (163.9884)	41 (145.6800)	21 (167.9772)	35 (162.2400)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

Sweet Cheeks BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

KCBS records held

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

Backyard avg

Backyard (3-meat) avg

Storylines (15 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Among the elite

Perfect scores on the board

Giant slayer

Multi-meat days

High-water mark

State champions

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

A big fish in small ponds

Looking over their shoulder

The long haul

Holds 1 KCBS record (on 2 all-time boards)

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)