Athletics News

TFS Pit Vipers crowned Grand Champions in final contest

In a stellar season marked by several high points, the Tallulah Falls School competition barbecue team once again smoked the competition. 

The No. 4 ranked TFS Pit Vipers competed in the Georgia BBQ Championship BBQ Throwdown in Cumming on Nov. 21-22, seizing a Grand Championship title in the Backyard Division. 

The team finished first in ribs, second in pork and sixth in chicken with the highest score in Pit Vipers history with a 179.4/180. According to Head Pitmaster Tom Tilley, the Pit Vipers' final tally was 525, with the runner-up team scoring a 518. 

"We knew going into the GBC Throwdown that we had an outside shot of winning it all and the team came through with a big effort," Tilley said. 

The Pit Vipers are runners-up in each category of chicken, ribs and pork, a first-place overall and a State Championship in the Backyard Division, according to the Georgia BBQ Championship overall standings list for the season. 

The Pit Vipers traveling team includes seniors Ty Tilley of Tallulah Falls, Cainan Yaskiewicz of Sky Valley; freshmen Brooke Hayes of Cornelia, Joel Bourlet of Tallulah Falls, Matthew Wolfe of Clarksville, Marc Crotta of Cornelia; and eighth-graders Teryk Tilley of Tallulah Falls and Zach Freeman of Toccoa. The TFS Pit Viper dessert baker was eighth-grader Lily Turpin of Demorest. Helping the team in previous competitions were alumni Pit Vipers Garrett Hunter of Tallulah Falls, Darren Fortner of Mt. Airy and AJ Hayes of Cornelia.

"Winning Grand Champion followed by a State Championship is just unbelievable," Yaskiewicz said. "I mean, we were fourth in the GBC State rankings. It was fun. We worked hard and the good Lord blessed us." 

The Pit Vipers finish the Kansas City Barbecue Society Backyard Series ranked 20th nationally in chicken and 25th in ribs. Additionally, the state-level win secured an invite to the KCBS World Invitational in 2021, Tilley said.