The Hillcrest School Eagle ‘Q’ BBQ team secured third place overall at the High School BBQ Association (HSBBQA) Regional Competition on March 9 in Rockwall, Texas, despite facing severe weather conditions throughout the event.
The team, which began their day at 5:30 a.m. to select meats, encountered high winds and lightning that forced them to take shelter while their pits remained unattended.
“The weather was brutal,” said Debra Northcutt, whose husband serves as a mentor for the team and whose son is a senior at Hillcrest and a member of the team. “They even had to leave their pits going,” while seeking shelter from the extreme weather.
Despite the conditions, every student competitor managed to submit their entries.
“That says a lot about these kids!” Northcutt said. “The individuals from the High School BBQ Association congratulated every kid that was there because they were out there in the rain and the wind, and they all were champs, truly.”
The Eagle ‘Q’ team’s performance earned them Top 10 finishes in every category. Their chicken entries placed fourth, meat and ribs placed fifth, and beans and desserts placed sixth.
Each member of the team was also awarded a $1,500 scholarship for their achievement as well as a trophy for the team.
The Hillcrest BBQ program is part of the school's broader initiative to expand extracurricular opportunities for students with learning differences.
“Through the years, Hillcrest has expanded, realizing that these kids want to participate like all the other children,” Northcutt said. “They want to be on the basketball team, they want to be cheerleaders, we have a golf team, and now we have this cook-off team. Just because they didn't fit in other educational environments doesn’t mean that they couldn’t fit and succeed in this world.”
The team is now preparing for the state competition in Granite Shoals at the end of April, continuing to refine their recipes and techniques.
“I’m just grateful for this opportunity for my son because I can see the confidence he has gained through this competition,” Northcutt said. “These kids will remember each other and they get to know each other and it's just a camaraderie that can't be described. It fills a void for my son and I think all the other kids feel the same way in that they love to be showcased for their achievements because they work so hard.”