It’s a sight seen at every barbecue competition: at the last minute, a team of barbecue experts decides on their best entry and send a runner to get the entry to the judges at the last minute.

The same was true at the Franklin-Simpson County fair.

One team, South Pork, the first place winners in brisket last year, made the judges entry table with a mere five ticks left on the clock.

He turned to wife and teammate Suzanne and said with a laugh,

“I told you we had time.”

27 teams entered the competition and started working on their entries on Friday. A heavenly blue haze rose slowly above the small city of smokers, and the teams began the mysterious work of making the best BBQ – at least the best they were capable of.

To compete, teams had to submit a piece of chicken, ribs, pork and brisket. Their submissions were judged on tenderness, presentation and taste.

Sid Wibbels said he woke up about every 45 minutes Friday night to put more wood in his smoker. He and his wife, Connie, make up the Monty Pigthon and the Holy Grillers team, and have been competitively barbecuing for seven years. They’ve attended the Franklin-Simpson barbecue since its inception in 2008.

Teams practice throughout the year, honing their skills. Warren County Pork Choppers, who got their competitive start here last year, started aging their brisket in April.

Saturday’s competition was serious business, with serious prizes. First and second places overall get $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. The top 10 places in each of the four categories also get cash prizes.