The Atascocita High School Smoking Eagles are made up of students of all ages who compete on the local and state level at cookoff competitions. Pictured from left are Smoking Eagles Champions Cayden Foster, Kennedy Joyner, Priscilla Cabrera, Brooke Burkhalter, Brett Mullin, and Davis Thompson.
The Smoking Eagles of Atascocita High School have been officially crowned co-grand champions of the Texas State High School BBQ Championship, which was held in Llano April 23-24, 2021. The group competed among 61 high school teams from across the state for the top spot as cook-off champions
The title was presented to the team on May 10 at Atascocita High School, after a calculation error by judges resulted in the wrong team receiving the grand champion award.
“Our students have worked hard over the past year perfecting recipes to help them get noticed,” Daryl Maune, Atascocita High School Agriculture Education Instructor, said. “They deserve this honor.”
The state championship, a cook-off weekend, consists of five categories: brisket, chicken, dessert, pinto beans, and ribs.
“This is a great opportunity to not only learn about the techniques of making great barbecue and smoked foods, but it gives us the chance to learn about teamwork and time management,” Brett Mullin, Atascocita High School junior, said. “We’re learning how to perfect our craft.”
Mr. Maune started the team after his students built barbecue pits and drum smokers that won awards at the Humble BBQ Cook-Off pit challenge.
“We were capable of making award-winning pits and smokers,” he said. “It just seemed natural to try our hand at cooking.”
The team qualified for state during its first year in 2020, but events were canceled due to COVID-19.
“COVID presented a number of challenges for everyone,” Priscilla Cabrera, Atascocita High School senior, said. “I’m glad I still had the opportunity to compete before graduating.”
There were 11 regional competitions across Texas that were sponsored by High School BBQ, Incorporated. Since the team received first place, the organization is awarding each student with a $1,000 scholarship. Each student also received a $5,000 scholarship from Austin’s Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts.
The team is planning for next year’s competitions by experimenting with new recipes and cooking techniques. Students are seeking community support through sponsorships to help them compete. For more information, or to help serve as a sponsor, contact Mr. Maune at Daryl.Maune@humbleisd.net.