Chad Watts Allstate Insurance scores 2 wins in first responder BBQ cookoff

Apr. 29, 2018

8:00 a.m.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-1

The team from the Chad Watts Allstate Insurance agency won first place in the chicken and "other" categories at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-2

These ribs were cooked by the Hoover Fire Fighter Association Local 4035 at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-3

James Kelser Jr. of West Blocton, Alabama, at right, tries some ribs cooked by the Hoover Fire Fighter Association Local 4035 at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-4

Savannah Walls, 3, of the McCalla community tastes a strawberry popsicle at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-5

Kevin Pipkin prepares some barbecue chicken for the Shooters Grill team at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-7

Kyo Kelly of the Mt Laurel community in north Shelby County tastes a rib cooked by the ServPro of Birmingham team at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-8

Matt Murphy of the "Matt & Aunie" show on the 99.5 talk radio station and Jon Paepcke, a reporter for the WVTM 13 television station, mark down scores as they taste barbecue as judges for the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-9

Huck McElveen and Kent O'Rear of ServPro of Birmingham check out some of their meat on the grill at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-10

Matt Murphy of the "Matt and Aunie" show on the 99.5 talk radio station talks to the crowd at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018. Other judges shown with him, from left, are Jon Paepcke of the WVTM 13 television station and Andrea Lindenberg, Leland Whaley and A.J. Johnson of 99.5.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-11

Patrons try some ribs at the ServPro of Birmingham tent at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-12

Patrons sample barbecue at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-13

People gather at the Hoover Fire Fighter Association Local 4025 tent at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-14

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-15

Ribs cooked by Hoover firefighters wait to be devoured at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-16

James Kelser Jr. of West Blocton, Alabama, tries some ribs cooked by the Hoover Fire Fighter Association Local 4035 at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-17

People stop for a chat at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-18

Huck McElveen and Kent O'Rear of the ServPro of Birmingham team hold their first place trophy for best pork in the corporate division at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-19

Members of the Cullman Fire Department team hold their trophy for best chicken in the first responder division at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-20

Members of the Hoover Fire Deparmtent team pose for a photo with their first-place trophy for best pork in the first responder division at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Photo by Jon Anderson

So You Think You Can Cook? 2018-21

Members of the Gadsden first responder team hold their trophy for winning the "other" category in the first responder division at the "So You Think You Can Cook?" barbecue competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 28, 2018. They won the category with their beef ribs.

Nearly 20 teams of first responders and companies competed in a barbecue cookoff at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on Saturday to help raise scholarship money for children of first responders.

A team representing AllState insurance agent Chad Watts walked away with two first-place trophies, winning the chicken and “other” categories among corporate teams. ServPro of Birmingham took first place in the pork category in the corporate division.

Among the first responder teams, the Cullman Fire Department scored a win in the chicken category, while the Hoover Fire Department took first place for pork and Gadsden first responders won the “other” category with some beef ribs.

The event, called “So You Think You Can Cook?” was open to the public. People paid $10 for admission to taste samples of the barbecue from each of the teams, plus get some doughnuts from Heavenly Donuts, cookies from Bud’s Best Cookies, ice cream, potato chips, Coca-Cola and a beer ticket from Birmingham Budweiser (for adults only).

Larry and Jackie Jones, who live in Hoover off South Shades Crest Road, said they heard about the competition on the 99.5 talk radio station and decided to come to show support for the first responders. It didn’t hurt that Larry loves barbecue, too.

“That rib is off the hook,” Larry Jones said after tasting one of the ribs served up by ServPro of Birmingham. “They deserve that award.”

Judges for the competition included Matt Murphy and Andrea Lindenberg of the Matt & Aunie radio show on 99.5, Leland Whaley and A.J. Johnson of the “Leland Live” radio show on 99.5, 99.5 news director Valerie Vining, reporter Jon Paepcke of the WVTM 13 television station and reporter Jon Anderson of the Hoover Sun.

All profits from the cookoff will be used to provide $2,000 college scholarships to children of first responders in the Birmingham-Hoover metro area, said Chris Mileski, business development coordinator for Hometown Lenders, which organized the cookoff.

Applications are distributed to schools and police and fire departments in the metro area, and applicants must write an essay that will be judged by a college English teacher, Mileski said.

This is the third year that Hometown Lenders has held events to raise money for scholarships, he said. The past two years, the company has sponsored 5K runs in the spring and fall. Last year, the 5K runs generated $12,000, including money from corporate sponsors and donations, Mileski said. The total for the past two years is $20,000 to $25,000, he said.

Organizers probably won’t know until the end of this week how much money was raised with the cookoff, Mileski said.