Silver Bullet Bandits win overall champs

The Silver Bullet Bandit Cookers parlayed second place finishes in chicken and chili with their other efforts to collect the Over-all winning prize of the 2008 Wharton County Youth Fair barbecue cook-off this past weekend.

The team is made up of chief cook Desi Garcia along with Joe Dominguez, Steve Greer, Leo Zavila and James Hensley. The runner up in Over-all was Kool Arrow Cookers II, made up of chief cook Anthony Abbott, Debbie Abbott, Luann Carrillo, Candace and Gary Garza. Third place went to the OutKast Kookers of chief cook Roland Bermudes, Hector Bermudes, Ray Ortiz, Lupe Gonzalez and Laverne May.

The Most Colorful team of this year's competition was Dead Meat Cookers, headed up by chief cook Freddie Pekar and including Dan Stancliff, James Poole, David Pless and Pat Pekar. Second place was collected by Country Cookers, made up of chief cook Alan Ratclift, Randy Glendening, Michelle Glendening, Taylor Glendening and Guadalupe Valdez. Claiming third was the Back Yard BBQ Boys, chief cook Mike Mobley, Kevin Cordero, Mike Molina, Ryan Wells and Taylor Mozisek.

The Big Dogs team claimed the Brisket title. It was an all-Longoria team of chief cook Benito, Alfred, Bobby, Frank and Rozann. Second in brisket went to OTR with chief cook Sandra Brewer, Rhonda Perry, Paul Richter, Elias Santos and Bob Douglas. Hard Time Cookers claimed third place. The team included chief cook Troy Zahradnik, Brenda Zahradnik, Anthony Tyrone, Thomas Araguz and Josh. The team also captured third place in the chicken cook-off.

Winning the chicken cooking was Kool Arrow I made up of chief cook Lenard Martinez, Cindy Delgado, John Delgado, Marcy Chavero and Theresa Pardo. Second went to Silver Bandit Cookers with third going to Hard Time.

The top Ribs were turned in by first place Over-Heated Cookers of chief cook Eugene Bustamante, Blaise Novak, Benny Novak, Steve Lopez and Richard Bustamante. The Gamblers picked up second. The team includes chief cook Vivian Jansky, David Jansky, Kevin Hamby, Michelle Soderquist and Petra Jansky. Third Place Ribs were turned in by Vernon Brothers; chief cook Herbert Vernon, Parry L. Vernon, Robin Mosiur and Sandra Brewer.

The first place Chili entry was turned in by Kool Arrow Cookers II, the second place over-all winners. Second belonged to Silver Bullet Bandit Cookers while third was collected by Beer'd Up, chief cook Jeff Hanson, Slick Drlik, Chopper Kahanek and Jeff Balcar.

Rounding out the competition was the Beans category with first place going to the Brisket Burners team of chief cook Jordan Helfer, Weldon Helfer, Kathleen Helfer, Pat Labay and Krystal Popp. Second was Salt and Pepper with chief cook Earl Brown, Teresa Brown, Todd Brown, Nicole Brown and Frank Brown. Grillers Gone Wild I was third in Beans and included chief cook Gary Rodriguez, Katie Rodriguez, Joe Munoz, Denise Munoz and Bandy Ratcliff.