Moulton M+14 Cookoff another great success

As the Meisetschleager family closed the books to yet another successful M+14 Memorial Barbecue Cookoff and Scholarship Benefit, siblings John Meisetschleager, Larissa Tesch and Kristen Jahn all agree their dad would have been quite pleased indeed.

As they just wrapped up their eighth annual fundraising event Saturday, Oct. 8, an event held each year to keep the memory of the father, Johnny Meisetschleager (or, M+14) alive and well in Moulton, they had just heard from talented local band Southpaw, featuring lead guitarist (and lefty) Colby Blahuta, who just so happens to be one of 51 graduates who have since benefited  from the local scholarship program designed for Moulton High School graduates. 

He's one of dozens who come back year after year to pitch in, participate or just be seen there at the event. It’s become a reunion of sorts, as many of those who benefitted from its dollars have since moved to college, tech schools, and careers in the field those dollars helped fund.

And for the reason they all came, they had just catered to 40 barbecue teams in what’s become a go-to barbecue cookoff held on the second Saturday of October each year, attended by teams from across the area. 

Sure, they give out awards and pay prizes to the winners, but almost nobody takes the cash. In fact, they tallied up how much this year’s cookoff winners gave back to the local scholarship program, and it came to $4,238.80—in one day’s time—dollars they tried to hand to winners, who all agreed the money was far better off in their hands, going to the kids from Moulton who can use it.

Winning this year’s grand champion honors was the team Smoker’s Paradise, who took second for their brisket and fourth for their chicken. Reserve champion honors went to S&M BBQ, who placed second for their ribs and fifth for their chicken.

Other top finishers in the 2022 M+14 Cookoff were:

• Brisket—1.) Pecan Creek Cookers, 2.) Smoker’s Paradise,3.) Limp Brisket, 4.) Just’N Time Cookers, 5.) Mosh Cookers, 6.) Morning Wood Cookers, 7. Here 4 the Beer 2, 8.) Machart Store Bums, 9.) Fam Bam, 10.) Heavy Chevy Cookers.

• Chicken—1.) Bohemian Honyak, 2.) The Game Changers, 3.) Come and Take It Cookers, 4.) Smokers Paradise, 5.) S&M BBQ, 6.) Who Me Koookers, 7.) Just One More, 8.) Let’s Go Brandon, 9.) Old Bohemian BBQ, 10.) Fire Academy Cookers.

• Ribs—1.) Just One More, 2.) S&M BBQ, 3.) Heavy Chevy Cookers, 4.) On Point BBQ, 5.) Beat This Meat, 6.) H&H BBQ, 7.) Limp Brisket, 8.) K&N Cookers, 9.) The Game Changers, 10.) Here 4 the Beer 2.

• Bloody Mary—1.) Old Bohemian, 2.) Here 4 the Beer 2, 3.) Come and Smoke It.

• Chili—1.) Braden Construction, 2.) H&H Cookers, 3.) Late Cookers.

• Beans—1.) Beer Drinking BBQ, 2.) Come and Take It, 3.) Shady Oak BBQ.