WICHITA — As an old football coach, Doug Kerr knows to expect the unexpected.
A team can look like a million bucks in practice, only to fall short on gameday.
And there are times when a team may be off just a tick in practice only to lock in at kickoff.
Turns out, barbecue is much the same, probably more so, because judging is involved. “That adds a layer,” Kerr said.
So when Iola High School’s Underhogs ventured to the Kansas High School BBQ Association State Tournament Saturday, Kerr’s only prediction was for unpredictability.
His single hope was for Iola’s three teams to show tangible growth beneath the tent, that the youngsters show the ability to work well together, communicate well and solve problems as they arise.
Boy, did they!
Iola’s three squads — Full House BBQ, Limp Brizket and Small Town Smokers — finished second, third and fourth, respectively, in the 13-team competition.
Individually, Full House also submitted the state champion pork spare ribs and Dutch oven dessert, a blackberry lime upside cake.
“The kids did a great job,” Kerr said. “And we had some transitions this year with a couple of teams just kind of thrown together, including three freshmen who were competing for the first time ever. And they were doing it at state, which is not always the best thing to do, but they did amazing.”
FOR THE UNINITIATED, teams are scored on six entries: pulled pork, spare ribs, chicken, steak, grilled cheese and Dutch oven desserts.
“We usually feel really good about three areas: grilled cheese, chicken and pork butts,” Kerr said. “And then we have our steak, cake and ribs, where our mindset was, let’s just get through those.”
So pulling home the top ribs entry, prepared by Mahala Burris, and the cake, made by freshman Jayna Ivy, was more than a pleasant surprise, Kerr laughed.
They were hardly alone. Each of the three team’s six entries earned top-10 ratings. In fact, Iola had the top two ribs entries (Limp Brizket’s was second), and the Small Town Smokers had the second-rated grilled cheese sandwich.
“The kids really excelled, and it wasn’t in just one area.”
PERHAPS most satisfying was having to make last-minute lineup adjustments on each of the three teams.
