Page 15 - NOV2021 Digial Issue

The judges are there voluntarily and take their responsibilities serious. Sure, you’ll hear them laughing with one another and with the cooks. But when it comes to getting the job done, they’re all business. We couldn’t be more thankful to these judges who week after week sacrifice their time to be at an event.
We are thankful for our SCA promoters. This is one of the most vital posi- tions within the SCA, for without you the rest makes no difference. You are the ones who secure locations, sponsors, steaks and often, will use your own personal money as assurance everyone who walks at awards re- ceives their prize money. You handle a lot of phone calls full of questions and suggestions from cooks. Sometimes, your head doesn’t stop “hurting” until you drive home and think about what a great event you just had. We are so thankful you endeavor to host the best events ever.
We are thankful for our SCA cooks. Without you there would be no “cookoff” in our name. You pack up all of your cooking supplies and drive hundreds of miles to hopefully walk away with prize money and the golden ticket to the World Championship. The majority, however, drive back home empty handed but this doesn’t stop you from coming back the very next week. You are so passionate, so full of hope, that you are an in- spiration to us and others who look into the SCA, drawing them to join. Thank you, SCA cooks for being who you are and doing what you do every week.
Business Partner
Walk with me through a typical steak cookoff. People are milling around putting up their tents and getting their cook site in working order. Tables here, coolers there and my chair ready for me when it comes time to trim, what I hope to be that winning steak. It won’t be long until burning char- coal begins wafting through the air as the cooks get their grills ready. Those grills will most likely be PKs. The PK grill has been a staple since the beginning of the SCA. PK has even hosted their own SCA sanctioned PK Grills Cookout (pre-Covid). Perhaps as our future gets more and more back to normal, we’ll see another PK Grills Cookout. But until then, just look around at your next cookoff and you’ll hear PK being called a lot at the awards program. Thank you, PK Grills, for being our partner.
Event Spotlight
Every month dozens of events are scheduled, each worth being high- lighted. Make sure you visit www.steakcookoffs.com every chance you can to see what has been added in your area. Every day there is a new event added to the calendar. In November there is an event coupled with an NBBQA get together. This event, planned by promoter, Mark Lambert, is unique in a lot of ways. There will be cooking seminars hosted by the NBBQA which you wouldn’t want to miss. There are steak cookoffs going on the entire weekend. To top it off, for an ancillary, there is a whole hog cookoff, where some of the top hog cooks in the country will be compet- ing. This event is one you do not want to miss.
Hassell Cattle Company Ancillary Points Chase
As we come down to the wire with one month remaining, the points chase is really heating up. The top three, Tona Pendray, Kyle Matuszewski and Will Collier, are continuing to pull away from the rest of the field but it doesn’t mean there is a clear-cut winner yet. Lori Davis, Rylee Wright and Bobby Oliver are in a tight battle for fourth place, trying to bring this food fight down to just these three. But if Craig Carter and Brandon Crain, cur- rently tied for seventh, have anything to say about it, they will be cracking the top 5 by the end of the season. But hard on their trail is Whitney Hampson and Catherine Noble, will are going to do all in their power to climb this ladder. If you want to watch an exciting chase, forget NASCAR, the ancillaries are keeping everyone on the edge of their seat.
ACE Hardware Steak Points Chase
A few years ago, there was a song which said, “Keep Shuffling.” This is ex- actly what we have with the ACE Hardware Steak Points Chase. No stranger to the championship chase is Terry Roan who sits at the top this month. However, the way the chase has been moving around, you can’t count out Tim and Sandy Brown who both have had a turn in the top spot this season. Right behind them in fourth sits Rusty Hadacek who, with one great cook he can take his place at the top. Looking at the rest of the Top 10, this championship chase is still anyone’s game. Scott Nardi, Ginnie Holmes, Jessica Barnes, Jeff Jacobsen, Larry Holmes and Will Collier all have time to take their place in the top seat. Just like the old saying, “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings.” She ain’t singing yet, but she is walking to the stage, with only a few weeks remaining in the season.
NOVEMBER 2021
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