Luling Newsboy
Foundation Farm
Youth Grill-Off

YOUTH GRILL-OFF EVENT A SMOKIN’ HOT GOOD TIME!

50-plus kids turn out for the event, featuring 20 cook teams

  • Showmanship Award: “Imperial Chefs,” Robert Hattenbach and Jon Moss of Gonzales.
    Showmanship Award: “Imperial Chefs,” Robert Hattenbach and Jon Moss of Gonzales.
  • Daddy's Little Girls, obviously... Photo by Paul Easterling
    Daddy's Little Girls, obviously... Photo by Paul Easterling
  • Grand Champion Senior Team: “The Good Team,” Ivan Remley, Sep Remley and Noah Schmidtberger of Lockhart.
    Grand Champion Senior Team: “The Good Team,” Ivan Remley, Sep Remley and Noah Schmidtberger of Lockhart.
  • Somewhere over the rainbow... Photo by Paul Easterling
    Somewhere over the rainbow... Photo by Paul Easterling
  • Grand Champion Junior Team: “The Burglars,” Jaxon Beck, Dyllon Richarson and Will Miller of Harwood.
    Grand Champion Junior Team: “The Burglars,” Jaxon Beck, Dyllon Richarson and Will Miller of Harwood.
  • Three for flinching... Photo by Paul Easterling
    Three for flinching... Photo by Paul Easterling
  • Reserve Grand Champion Senior Team: “Barbie Ques,” Courtney Dredla, Brynlee Lore and Peyton Taylor of Dale.
    Reserve Grand Champion Senior Team: “Barbie Ques,” Courtney Dredla, Brynlee Lore and Peyton Taylor of Dale.
  • May we have another? Photo by Paul Easterling
    May we have another? Photo by Paul Easterling
  • Reserve Grand Champion Junior Team: “Schaas Brothers Beef,” Brody Schaas and Ryker Schaas of Canyon Lake.
    Reserve Grand Champion Junior Team: “Schaas Brothers Beef,” Brody Schaas and Ryker Schaas of Canyon Lake.
  • Slicing up some shroom... Photo by Paul Easterling
    Slicing up some shroom... Photo by Paul Easterling
  • Most Fun Award: “Three Amigos,” Jonah Hernandez, Gary Cantu and David Cruz of Luling.
    Most Fun Award: “Three Amigos,” Jonah Hernandez, Gary Cantu and David Cruz of Luling.
  • Quite a crowd...
    Quite a crowd...
  • Most Creative Award:  “Schaas Brothers Beef,” Brody Schaas and Ryker Schaas of Canyon Lake.
    Most Creative Award:  “Schaas Brothers Beef,” Brody Schaas and Ryker Schaas of Canyon Lake.
  • The raffle winner of the Blackstone Griddle was Guy Owen.
    The raffle winner of the Blackstone Griddle was Guy Owen.
  • Most Outstanding Teamwork Award: “The Cow Belles,” Abby Irving and Ellie Irving of Gonzales.
    Most Outstanding Teamwork Award: “The Cow Belles,” Abby Irving and Ellie Irving of Gonzales.

    Local Realtor Paul Easterling was kind enough to pass along a few of the photos he snapped earlier this month over at the Luling Foundation Farm, when members of the Caldwell County AgriLife Extension Service played host to a Youth Grill-Off there on the Foundation grounds Saturday, Sept. 10.

    Kids were able to get their grill on that day, provided they fell within the allotted age limits, meaning they landed somewhere between a third grader and a high school senior in general age, and they paid their entry fee of just $20 a team.

    Once registered the competitors were then split into two competition brackets: The Junior Division for kids in Grades 3-7, and the Senior Division for eighth graders on up.

    They ended up with 20 teams (50-plus kids participated); 12 junior teams (Grades 3-7) and eight senior teams (eighth grade on up).  

    The Foundation then supplied each team with fresh Angus ground beef patties, raised right on the farm, charcoal and a cooker. After that, the kids went to work, roasting their patties to what they considered the proper level of heat and many choosing what ingredients it needed to finish it all off .

    Many got quite creative with the items they chose to add to their burgers.

    Judges then named a grand and reserve champion grilling team in each division. We’d like to thank Bonnie Dredla over at the Luling Foundation office for forwarding those results along to us earlier this week, and Mr. Easterling once more for allowing us the use of his outstanding photographs of the event.

    Here's the list of winners of the 2022 Youth Grill-Off put on by The Luling Foundation and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension:

    • Grand Champion Senior Team: “The Good Team,” Ivan Remley, Sep Remley and Noah Schmidtberger of Lockhart.

    • Reserve Grand Champion Senior Team: “Barbie Ques,” Courtney Dredla, Brynlee Lore and Peyton Taylor of Dale.

    • Grand Champion Junior Team: “The Burglars,” Jaxon Beck, Dyllon Richarson and Will Miller of Harwood.

    • Reserve Grand Champion Junior Team: “Schaas Brothers Beef,” Brody Schaas and Ryker Schaas of Canyon Lake.

    • Showmanship Award: “Imperial Chefs,” Robert Hattenbach and Jon Moss of Gonzales.

    • Most Fun Award: “Three Amigos,” Jonah Hernandez, Gary Cantu and David Cruz of Luling.

    • Most Creative Award:  “Schaas Brothers Beef,” Brody Schaas and Ryker Schaas of Canyon Lake.

    • Most Outstanding Teamwork Award: “The Cow Belles,” Abby Irving and Ellie Irving of Gonzales.

    The raffle winner of the Blackstone Griddle was Guy Owen

    “It was a wonderful success, and we can’t wait to have another one next year,” Dredla told us.