TEMPLE, Texas — The Temple High School BBQ Pitmasters Team will have one more chance to compete in this, its inaugural season, after the team qualified for the National competition, known as “The Slab”, with a solid performance at the State Championship last month.
The Pitmasters qualified for the national competition after finishing 16th in the State Championship in Burnet in May. That finish will send Temple High School’s team to the National Championship, which will be held June 18-20th at the at locations in Hutto and Round Rock. The Temple HS team is coached by Temple alum Joe Medrano and his wife, Allison. The five-person team is made up of seniors William Hardin, Erandy Perez and Anthony Rangel, junior Jordan Magana and sophomore Reece Medrano. Each team member is responsible for a specific food item that must be turned in on a very specific timeline during each competition. Hardin is in charge of pork chops, Perez is the Dutch oven dessert specialist, Rangel oversees the chicken, Magana is responsible for the skirt steak tacos and Reece Medrano takes the lead with the ribs. The team won Reserve Champion honors at its first competition to clinch a spot in the State Championship and earning a spot in the National Championship became a much more realistic goal at that point.
“I think they were a little disappointed by how they finished at the state championship, but that is just fueling their fire and they aren’t phased by that at all,” Joe Medrano said. “It was a little overwhelming when we first found out we were going to advance to Nationals because the team is so new to this. I am so happy, especially for our seniors, to have this opportunity to compete at the highest level because so many high schools never get a chance to do that.”
“I am really excited for the team because getting to go to Nationals in our first year is pretty cool,” added Reece Medrano. “When we got word that we would be moving on, everyone was screaming and hollering. It is exciting to have a chance to do this with my dad and now with my teammates. I have really learned communication and time management because you have to do this as a team.”
In addition to all of the categories used in the State Championship and previous competitions, the National Championship turns up the heat by adding another category, pork shoulder, to the mix. Each of the team members has given up their Sundays to practice during the school year in addition to their busy school, work and extra-curricular schedules. Joe Medrano has had all of the team members learn each role and not just their specialty. And he can’t wait watch this team in the final competition of the year after seeing what they’ve already been able to accomplish in such a short time.
“These kids are good and for us to meet the goal of getting to Nationals really says something about how hard they have worked,” Joe Medrano said. “I have seen them grow by leaps and bounds this year and I had high expectations to begin with. We want to win it all and I want that so badly for these kids, but regardless of how the National cook-off goes, they have proven that they are winners.”
Temple High School culinary arts teacher Margaret Fyffe has served as the staff sponsor for the BBQ Pitmasters this school year with Joe and Allison Medrano coaching the team at practices and competitions. The Pitmasters are competing as part of the National High School BBQ Association.