SMOKE OF THE SHOALS

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

Power ranking

#4973

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1463

peak 1540 · rated over 38 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-03-15

latest 2017-12-01

Best ToY finish

#299

Master 2013

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

8 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 38 contests

Avg finish

top 60%

overall standings

Best overall

690.2056 / 720

Master · Music City Festival & BBQ Championship

Perfect 180s

2 🔥

Current form

642.31 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 657.73 (-15.42)

Walk rate

45%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Brisket · Music City Festival & BBQ Championship

Consistency

±15.37

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 166.38 · weakest Pork Ribs (161.60)

Road miles

3,962

mi across 38 mapped stops · furthest 154 mi

Schedule strength

42%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1555)

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 3 state-championship entries

Master avg

657.73 / 720

38 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (13 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.

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.

Pork ×1
Brisket ×1

A multi-meat day

1 contests with 2+ category wins

They've won two or more meats on the same day 1 time — the best of them 2 category wins at Music City Festival & BBQ Championship (2013-08-23).

Pork 1st
Brisket 1st

High-water mark

690.2056 career-best overall

95.9% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 690.2056 at Music City Festival & BBQ Championship — 95.9% of a perfect 720.

Master
2013-08-23

Their season

2013 their best year

2013 was the year it came together: 9 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 41%.

9 contests
2 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 41%

A tough matchup

27–4 behind in the head-to-head

JIGGY PIGGY ahead in 87% of their meetings

JIGGY PIGGY has come out ahead in 27 of their 31 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.8 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.77 points below their pork, and turns into a call 8% of the time against 29%.

Pork Ribs avg 161.60
Pork avg 166.38
3 calls in 38 entries

A strong matchup

10–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 83% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SMOKE-N-ASHES in 10 of their 12 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

23 of 29 shared pork entries lost

Organizer Portal ahead 79% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Organizer Portal has out-cooked them in 23 of 29 shared pork entries.

Going the wrong way

-33 rating points in a year

The rating has slipped 33 points across 7 contests since 2016-12-02 — from 1496 down to 1463.

7 contests since 2016-12-02
now 1463

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

PE LITTLE THRIGS has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An October team

Top 43% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 43% across 3 contests, versus top 60% the rest of the year.

3 October contests
top 60% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,962 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,962 miles across 38 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 154 miles to Music City Festival & BBQ Championship.

38 mapped stops
furthest 154 mi

The metronome

±2.13% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.13% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.4% of a perfect score
38 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.

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

A BBQ TEAM - MO

#4989 of the rated field

1462 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 32
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 3%
Peak: 1506

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1506 at their best, 44 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 32 contests
last seen 2025-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

Moolicious Intentions

#4974 of the rated field

1463 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1513

No shared contest yet.

Fewer contests behind them than SMOKE OF THE SHOALS has cooked, 18 to 38, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2025-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

ALWAYS SMOK'D

#4991 of the rated field

1462 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1507

No shared contest yet.

18 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 6% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2018-08-10

⚔ Head-to-head

SWEET WATER BAR-B-QUE

#4961 of the rated field

1463 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1505

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 16 contests
last seen 2019-05-31

⚔ Head-to-head

LET YOUR MEAT SHINE THROUGH BAR-B-QUE

#4979 of the rated field

1463 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1463

No shared contest yet.

Level with SMOKE OF THE SHOALS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2022-09-02

⚔ Head-to-head

CAN'T STOP THE SMOKE

#4977 of the rated field

1463 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1505

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1505 at their best, 42 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2016-10-29

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
JIGGY PIGGY	31	4	27	13%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	29	3	26	10%	⚔ compare
The Specialists	24	4	20	17%	⚔ compare
South Pork	23	2	21	9%	⚔ compare
BEAN BANDITS	21	3	18	14%	⚔ compare
BIG BLUE QUE	20	3	17	15%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN BUTT CREW	18	2	16	11%	⚔ compare
SWIGGIN PIG	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
RED EYED SMOKERS	15	2	13	13%	⚔ compare
Chokin "N" tha Smoke	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
1709 BBQ	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
HOUSE OF Q	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
SMOKE-N-ASHES	12	10	2	83%	⚔ compare
SOUTHERN QUE	12	4	8	33%	⚔ compare
BUSH LEAGUE BBQ (inactive)	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	38	7	0	1	178.8572	144.4800	165.80	top 56%
Pork Ribs	38	3	0	0	174.8572	146.7772	161.60	top 66%
Pork	38	11	1	3	180.0000 🔥	154.1940	166.38	top 47%
Brisket	38	7	1	4	180.0000 🔥	151.3600	163.95	top 56%

“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 state / province

Where	Contests	Avg finish
AL	25	top 64%
MS	11	top 53%
TN	2	top 48%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	21	0	top 63%
Large (40+)	17	0	top 56%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ	3	20	top 63%	2017-05-05
Hog Wild BBQ Festival	3	12	top 48%	2016-09-29
Stand by Your Grill	3	9	top 54%	2016-08-19
*Christmas on the River	2	13	top 68%	2017-12-01
Smoke on the Falls	2	17	top 70%	2017-04-07
Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1	2	64	top 84%	2017-03-17
Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-Off	2	12	top 72%	2016-07-29
* Christmas on the River State Championship BBQ	2	11	top 52%	2015-12-04
Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cookoff	2	20	top 83%	2015-05-15

The story so far (16 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 4.7 yrs 2013-03-15 → 2017-12-01

Busiest season 2013 9 contests

Contests a season 7.6 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in AL 25 of 38 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 26 9 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 38 entries · 0 wins · 7 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 166.38 · weakest Pork Ribs (161.60)

Walk rate 45% a top-10 call in 17 of 38 contests

Overall top-10 rate 11% 4 of 38 contests

Master average 657.73 out of 720 · 38 contests · 0 GCs

Perfect 180s 2 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 751 717–1,045 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 3,962 38 mapped stops · furthest 154 mi

Schedule strength 1555 average field rating faced — tougher than 42% of rated contests

State championships 0 from 3 state-championship entries

Power rating 1463 peak 1540 · #4973 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Mar 15 First tracked contest Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel
Mar 15 First call Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel
Mar 15 First overall past 90% of a perfect score663.9998 Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel
Aug 23 First category win (Pork) Music City Festival & BBQ Championship
Aug 23 First overall top-10 Music City Festival & BBQ Championship
Aug 23 First overall podium Music City Festival & BBQ Championship
Aug 23 First multi-meat day Music City Festival & BBQ Championship
Aug 23 First perfect 180 (Pork) Music City Festival & BBQ Championship
Aug 23 Career-best overall score690.2056 Music City Festival & BBQ Championship
Oct 4 Peak power rating (1540) KC Hog Wild Corinth BBQ
2014
Mar 14 10th tracked contest Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Benefiting Link Centre
2016
Mar 18 25th tracked contest Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1
2017
Dec 1 Most recent contest *Christmas on the River

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.1	Music City Festival & BBQ Championship	2013-08-23
+13.4	Stand by Your Grill	2016-08-19
+11.2	Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest	2013-09-13
+10	Boda Getta BBQ	2015-05-08
+7.9	*Christmas on the River	2017-12-01

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.8	Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-Off	2016-07-29
-11.3	20th Annual Decatur Jaycee's Riverfest	2014-09-19
-9.9	Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cookoff	2015-05-15
-9.7	Christmas on the River State Championship	2013-12-06
-9.5	Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1	2017-03-17

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)
2017	6	0	0	17%	top 82%	92.3%	89.1%
2016	8	1	0	38%	top 68%	94.4%	91.1%
2015	8	1	0	38%	top 58%	93.6%	91.9%
2014	7	0	0	43%	top 58%	93.6%	91.3%
2013	9	2	2	78%	top 41%	95.9%	92.6%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2017-12-01	*Christmas on the River Demopolis, AL	13 / 27 (664.4344)	22 (160.5372)	14 (165.0972)	8 (168.5372)	7 (170.2628)
2017-09-15	Big Brother Big Sister Riverfest Decatur, AL	35 / 39 (619.1764)	36 (144.4800)	30 (159.9540)	34 (154.2512)	30 (160.4912)
2017-08-25	Great American BBQ Festival Franklin, TN	36 / 40 (647.8856)	25 (166.8572)	35 (159.9772)	38 (159.3828)	31 (161.6684)
2017-05-05	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	57 / 69 (642.0228)	63 (150.1944)	44 (163.9428)	61 (157.0512)	15 (170.8344)
2017-04-07	Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL	25 / 28 (638.0336)	22 (165.0856)	27 (149.6340)	27 (154.1940)	11 (169.1200)
2017-03-17	Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1 Tupelo, MS	64 / 68 (636.4112)	61 (158.2288)	49 (161.1200)	58 (159.4056)	57 (157.6568)
2016-12-02	*Christmas on the River Demopolis, AL	30 / 34 (646.0912)	26 (161.6684)	9 (170.2628)	31 (159.3716)	31 (154.7884)
2016-09-29	Hog Wild BBQ Festival Corinth, MS	13 / 28 (675.3372)	3 (178.8572)	14 (169.1200)	16 (166.2400)	19 (161.1200)
2016-09-09	Decatur Jaycee's 22nd Annual Riverfest Decatur, AL	26 / 41 (663.8396)	26 (165.6684)	32 (162.7884)	12 (170.2628)	29 (165.1200)
2016-08-19	Stand by Your Grill Fulton, MS	9 / 40 (679.3256)	17 (170.8228)	33 (158.8000)	4 (174.2628)	2 (175.4400)
2016-07-29	Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-Off Hartselle, AL	33 / 33 (647.1764)	28 (162.7768)	31 (162.7884)	31 (161.6456)	29 (159.9656)
2016-05-06	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	49 / 67 (635.7832)	30 (168.5372)	59 (152.5144)	54 (160.5028)	51 (154.2288)
2016-04-08	Smoke on the Falls Noccalula BBQ Fest Gadsden, AL	18 / 25 (654.1484)	14 (165.6916)	18 (162.2400)	18 (161.6912)	19 (164.5256)
2016-03-18	Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1 Tupelo, MS	71 / 95 (644.4228)	38 (170.2628)	87 (150.8000)	80 (156.5256)	41 (166.8344)
2015-12-04	* Christmas on the River State Championship BBQ 🏅 Demopolis, AL	24 / 36 (650.2400)	18 (167.9656)	14 (166.3200)	14 (164.5944)	33 (151.3600)
2015-10-01	Hog Wild BBQ Festival Corinth, MS	12 / 25 (674.1372)	13 (168.5372)	18 (165.0972)	5 (171.9772)	8 (168.5256)
2015-09-25	Bama Brew & Que Tuscaloosa, AL	11 / 26 (660.9828)	17 (164.5372)	14 (166.2516)	13 (166.2400)	13 (163.9540)
2015-09-11	Decatur Jaycee's 21st Annual Riverfest Decatur, AL	26 / 55 (667.8856)	42 (161.6684)	33 (163.3944)	9 (173.7028)	25 (169.1200)
2015-08-14	Stand By Your Grill Fulton, MS	45 / 57 (655.8856)	44 (163.9656)	19 (169.7028)	55 (155.9200)	33 (166.2972)
2015-05-15	Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cookoff Hartselle, AL	24 / 27 (651.3716)	25 (161.0972)	19 (162.8344)	15 (165.1772)	20 (162.2628)
2015-05-08	Boda Getta BBQ Auburn, AL	6 / 21 (660.4684)	8 (167.9772)	15 (159.4172)	4 (169.1200)	10 (163.9540)
2015-04-10	Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL	22 / 34 (672.4340)	28 (165.1084)	11 (174.8572)	12 (169.6684)	27 (162.8000)
2014-12-05	Christmas on the River State Championship BBQ 🏅 Demopolis, AL	11 / 29 (674.2056)	22 (164.5372)	6 (172.5600)	7 (170.2744)	14 (166.8340)
2014-10-02	Hog Wild BBQ Festival Corinth, MS	16 / 32 (671.9084)	10 (172.5716)	27 (159.3828)	11 (174.2628)	22 (165.6912)
2014-09-19	20th Annual Decatur Jaycee's Riverfest Decatur, AL	56 / 75 (643.1884)	67 (157.6456)	62 (157.6456)	25 (168.5372)	51 (159.3600)
2014-05-16	Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cookoff Hartselle, AL	20 / 26 (647.8168)	17 (162.2168)	19 (163.3944)	14 (165.1200)	20 (157.0856)
2014-05-02	The WhistleStop Festival & Rocket City BBQ (JUDGES SIGN UP STARTS DECEMBER 2, 2013) Huntsville, AL	20 / 62 (672.4228)	41 (162.2400)	13 (171.9772)	20 (166.2400)	14 (171.9656)
2014-04-11	Smoke on the Falls Noccalula BBQ Fest Gadsden, AL	27 / 34 (647.8400)	9 (170.8572)	33 (149.0744)	2 (174.8456)	30 (153.0628)
2014-03-14	Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Benefiting Link Centre Tupelo, MS	54 / 95 (645.4972)	17 (171.9772)	79 (150.7888)	19 (170.8112)	74 (151.9200)
2013-12-06	Christmas on the River State Championship 🏅 Demopolis, AL	24 / 29 (643.2232)	20 (163.9544)	29 (154.2288)	17 (165.0972)	19 (159.9428)
2013-10-04	KC Hog Wild Corinth BBQ Corinth, MS	9 / 30 (679.8972)	4 (177.1428)	8 (170.8460)	13 (169.1200)	17 (162.7884)
2013-09-13	Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest Decatur, AL	12 / 80 (674.7432)	16 (169.6800)	27 (165.0972)	40 (164.5372)	3 (175.4288)
2013-08-23	Music City Festival & BBQ Championship Nashville, TN	3 / 55 (690.2056)	20 (166.8228)	25 (163.3828)	1 (180.0000)	1 (180.0000)
2013-08-16	Stand By Your Grill Fulton, MS	37 / 62 (661.0056)	8 (175.4400)	62 (146.7772)	11 (171.4056)	31 (167.3828)
2013-05-17	Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cook-Off Hartselle, AL	12 / 27 (677.7144)	21 (163.9998)	18 (161.7144)	2 (176.0002)	2 (176.0000)
2013-05-03	The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	35 / 62 (650.2856)	21 (169.7140)	56 (152.0002)	38 (162.8572)	23 (165.7142)
2013-04-12	Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL	17 / 34 (662.2852)	9 (170.8572)	22 (163.4284)	6 (169.7144)	22 (158.2852)
2013-03-15	Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Tupelo, MS	27 / 100 (663.9998)	19 (170.2858)	56 (161.7142)	7 (173.7144)	68 (158.2854)

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
2017 ↗	Master	#985 (345 pts)	#1101 (315 pts)	#1048 (340 pts)	#975 (380 pts)	#763 (510 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#609 (640 pts)	#554 (730 pts)	#643 (635 pts)	#543 (755 pts)	#557 (720 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#723 (487 pts)	#838 (432 pts)	#690 (552 pts)	#545 (717 pts)	#720 (512 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#608 (611 pts)	#560 (701 pts)	#595 (651 pts)	#397 (931 pts)	#618 (596 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#299 (1030 pts)	#259 (1090 pts)	#436 (740 pts)	#167 (1410 pts)	#211 (1290 pts)