It’s National BBQ Day so United ISD would like to recognize state championship BBQ team members from Alexander High School. Bad 2 the Bone Smokers ranked number one at state, and Bark and Bone earned fourth.
They went up against more than 100 teams from across the state at the High School BBQ Texas State Championship in Granite Shoals. This is only the school’s second year competing.
The teams were led by Griselda Gonzalez, AHS Career and Technology Education teacher and FFA co-BBQ coach, her daughter, Kassandra Gonzalez, Agriculture teacher at AHS 9th, FFA adviser and co-BBQ coach, and Jorge Gutierrez, AHS CTE teacher and co-BBQ coach.
Alexander High Senior Enrique Garcia, the team captain who cooks brisket and ribs for Bad 2 the Bone, said he and team members worked very hard for this accomplishment.
“I have always had a passion for cooking out each weekend with my dad. Last year, when they announced they were starting a team, I was like, ‘This is my moment. This is what I want’,” Garcia said.
“At the competition, before they announced the top three, I was saying, ‘Please don’t say our names yet, please don’t say our names yet,” Garcia said. When they announced the team as Grand Champion, “my heart started racing, and I couldn’t wait for them to say we were champions.”
Garcia wanted to thank God.
“Without God, none of this would be possible. God has helped me out a lot,” he said. He added that he wanted to thank his parents, and he also wanted to especially thank Alejandro Gonzalez, Griselda’s husband, who he said was his personal mentor.
Last year in December, Mr. Gonzalez suffered a severe stroke and was left bed-ridden for months. When the team placed 20th last year in state, Garcia made a promise to Mr. Gonzalez.
“I told him, ‘I don’t like to lose. I want to win, and I told him no matter what, I am going to make sure we win, and if there is no money in the budget, I will go out and look for more sponsors, and we did, and we were able to do more competitions and in the end, it paid off,” Garcia said.
Mr. Gonzalez said he enjoyed mentoring Garcia.
“Before I got this stroke, we were talking to him and telling him we need to take it one day at a time and just control your fire. The thing with BBQ is you need to control your fire and keep it level, no spikes,” Mr. Gonzalez said.
Kassandra said that the Bark and Bone team, mostly made up of freshmen, will be a powerhouse with the students returning again to compete.
“These kids are absolutely amazing, competing against these numbers, over 100 teams competed,” Kassandra said. “In their first year, to be placed like this is absolutely amazing, and they put their heart into it, and they want to continue thriving. I am very proud of these kids and all the work they have done.”
In addition to bragging rights, team members earned $7,000 each in scholarship funds, a belt buckle and awards at the competition in late April.
Alexander High School Principal Rosana Arizola said the school was very proud of the coaches and students.
“It’s amazing, an amazing accomplishment,” she said. “We are very competitive. We are very proud of all the kids, the coaches did very well, and we knew they were going to place, that they would do well and we are extremely proud that they placed this far, this high.”
AHS BBQ team members work on their desserts
Bad 2 the Bone Team Captain Enrique Garcia and his personal mentor, Alejandro Gonzalez
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