Smoke fills the air as Hadlee Davis checks on the barbecue pork ribs. The burning hickory smell is filling the Pitkat’s lungs, and as the timer comes to an end, they rush to turn in their delicious ribs, brisket and dessert. Together, they hold hands as they wait to hear their placement in regionals. As the judges announce the sixth-place winners, they cheer and hug, knowing they’ll be heading to the next level.
After a successful regional competition in Ft. Worth, The Pitkats will be going to the state barbecue cook-off on April 24-25th.
Barbeque in Texas is no joke, and when it comes to the Pitkats they believe practice makes perfect.
“In the last practice, we used a full day where we took off and practiced outside with our entire team,” sophomore Trystyn Cox said. “That was really helpful because it was the week before our competition, and that was good because it prepared us.”
Even members of the Pitkats who weren’t born and raised here can agree that everything’s better in Texas.
“Honestly, the best barbecue, in my opinion, is any kind of ribs. I love when ribs fall off the bone,” junior Addison Thomson said. “Ever since I’ve moved to Texas, I haven’t found any barbecue better than the ones cooked here.”
Since joining the Pitkats, students have been improving in their barbecue skills.
“I’ve learned how to make beans and chicken, and yesterday the team went to a competition and our team placed sixth out of the 32 teams,” sophomore Lukas Tristan said. “I made the beans that day and got second place, winning $500 for the school.”
Joining the barbecue team doesn’t just teach students how to cook a brisket, but also exposes students to new experiences.
“It was good, it was my first time being in that environment,” Cox said. “Working with a lot of different people was interesting.”
In Texas, helping out your dad with barbecuing is a rite of passage.
“What made me interested was that my brother always helped my dad barbecue, and I wanted to know how to do it,” sophomore Izaiah Tristian said. “So far, I’ve learned how to use the smoker and how to put wood on the pit.”
As long as the Pitkats stick together and keep learning new things and perfecting the old, they have high hopes for state.
“I feel good about going to state,” sophomore Eli Majkszak said. “And I know that we are going to do good if we keep on practicing and working as a team.”
