There's a new generation of pit masters in the Rio Grande Valley.

High school students are now showcasing their skills on the grill and also learning important life skills.

"A lot of us, especially in the FAA or CTE groups work all year kind of perfecting it, so this is kind of our time you know," La Feria Independent School District senior David Ramos said.

Barbecue competitions are growing among high school students across the Lone Star state.

It's a hobby Ramos takes pride in. He cooks along-side his team during Friday night lights to make sure they get their recipes just right in time for competition.

"We'll do like tacos there, on the side we've been running ribs and chicken in the past couple of weeks trying to get down recipes and cook times and temperatures," Ramos said.

On Tuesday, 11 schools from across the Valley came together for the second annual Barbecue Cook-off at La Feria ISD.

Nineteen teams fired up the grills and smokers to try to impress the judges.

Educators at La Feria ISD say these competitions help students gain life skills they can use beyond the kitchen.

They said this year more teams showed up to compete compared to last year and as Texas BBQ becomes more popular, they are hoping to see more teams fire up the grill next year.