KENOSHA — Five weeks into the Fall 2025 WEC Season, one unbeaten team remains—Carthage RL White (5-0). This week, Carthage RL Red and RL JV [Black] had the opportunity to compete in a thrilling regular-season match. RL Grey has rescheduled their Week Five match to Monday, Oct. 27. Valorant has found itself in the win column after taking down an undefeated team in its division. All Carthage RL teams were scheduled to play at 6:00 p.m. CST on Monday, Oct. 20. Valorant competed at 6:00 p.m. CST on Thursday, Oct. 23.

WEC Week Five Recap: Rocket League Red (2-1) vs Rocket League JV [Black] (3-1)

Score: Carthage Red 3, Carthage JV 2

Carthage Red, consisting of senior captain Alex Vaile (Vaile), freshman Owen Perry (Kor), and freshman Kyle Branski (xray), entered this contest after defeating WCTC Owls White 3-1 in Week Four. Additionally, this trio won the first-ever Red Cedar Rumble tournament on Saturday, Oct 18. Schools across the Midwest were invited to bask in the newly built UW-Stout Esports arena.

Carthage JV [Black] includes junior captain Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr), junior Lucas Menzer (Joyystik), and senior Tanner Lee (Flare). They suffered a 3-1 loss against WCTC Owls Blue. Although Carthage JV [Black] recorded its first loss in Week Four, the team became eager to use this experience as fuel to improve against highly regarded teams.

This Carthage Red vs Carthage JV [Black] match was an off-stream, best-of-five series, which happened on Monday, Oct. 20, at 6:00 p.m. CST.

Game One was a 5-2 win for Carthage Red. Feeding off their tournament win, Red came out swinging. The team forced 10 shots on net, four more than JV [Black]. Vaile put on a three-goal performance on six shots with a save. Branski and Perry would add one goal each—the duo combined for four assists, solidifying Carthage Red as a well-oiled machine. Perry accounted for Red's demo count with three. Gilchrist and Lee each secured a goal for JV [Black], while Menzer logged two assists despite the loss.

Game Two saw Carthage JV [Black] pull off a 3-2 overtime win. The team adjusted to Red's high-octane playstyle. Although Red forced 12 shots to JV's seven, it was not enough to get over the hump. Menzer exploded for a hat trick, including a three-second overtime goal to tie the series. Gilchrist and Lee complemented Menzer with two assists and seven saves combined. Vaile continued to be excellent offensively, scoring two goals, while Branski and Perry combined for two assists and three saves. 

Game Three became a 2-1 victory for Carthage JV [Black]. Within the opening 22 seconds, Lee scored the game's first goal. It would immediately shift momentum. While riding that high, JV [Black] shot the ball 11 times on Red's net. With one minute and ten seconds left, Gilchrist found himself in Red's net for his team's second goal. JV [Black] controlled this game's pacing and only allowed one goal from Red to go through before closing the door on a comeback. Despite the loss, Vaile logged Red's single goal while having four saves.

Game Four was a convincing 5-1 victory for Carthage Red. About 19 shots on net were recorded after being held to six in Game Three. Branski topped out with three goals on five shots with an assist and a save. Vaile scored one goal while forcing 10 shots on net. He added three assists as well. Lastly, for Carthage Red, Perry scored one goal on four shots. JV [Black] was limited to only three shots on net, with the lone goal scored by Lee.

Game Five ended in a thrilling finish for Carthage Red. After being down 2-1 in the series, they stayed the course. The shots on net were less skewed as JV [Black] forced six, while Red forced five. Although Menzer gave JV [Black] a one-goal lead early, Vaile made his veteran presence felt and scored Red's two goals in the latter stages. Branski and Perry each accumulated an assist and combined for three saves. Although JV [Black] fell to their counterpart, they fought hard and hung in there until the end.

When looking at major categories, Carthage Red had more Goals (15-9), Assists (13-7), and Shots (52-33) than Carthage JV [Black]. This was another example of Red's determination to fight regardless of the series score. JV [Black] showcased an ability to adjust during a series and compete against a top team with heart.

Statistically, for JV [Black], Menzer led the way with four goals, four assists, 13 saves, 14 shots, and seven demos. Lee followed with three goals, one assist, nine saves, 12 shots, and one demo. Lastly, Gilchrist logged two goals, two assists, 12 saves, seven shots, and 14 demos. For Carthage Red, Vaile scored nine goals, had three assists, made nine saves, took 28 shots, and recorded six demos. Next, Branski recorded four goals, six assists, six saves, 16 shots, and nine demos. Lastly, Perry had two goals, four assists, seven saves, eight shots, and 14 demos.

[Player Comments: Penn Gilchrist]: "Going into the match, we felt confident that we could do some damage to them. We played against Carthage Red to begin the semester. At the time, we were about even in skill level. So we had high hopes going into the match and made it a close series. Unfortunately, we couldn't close out the win even though we went up 2-1 in the series at one point. Overall, it was a good experience for us and will definitely help keep us motivated in the season."

Fall 2025 WEC Season Player Stats Through Week Five – Carthage RL Black

• Lucas Menzer (Joyystik): 20 Goals, 13 Assists, 23 Saves, 67 Shots, 31 Demos, 29.5% Shooting
• Tanner Lee (Flare): 12 Goals, Nine Assists, 20 Saves, 53 Shots, 17 Demos, 22.6% Shooting
• Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr): 11 Goals, 12 Assists, 30 Saves, 55 Shots, 37 Demos, 20% Shooting

[Player Comments: Kyle Branski]: "This wasn't our best performance showcased against Carthage black, but we ended up getting the win. Looking ahead, we will improve as much as possible."

Fall 2025 WEC Season Player Stats Through Week Four – Carthage RL Red

• Alex Vaile (Vaile): 18 Goals, 14 Assists, 24 Saves, 66 Shots, 29 Demos, 27.2% Shooting
• Kyle Branski (xray): 17 Goals, 16 Assists, 21 Saves, 65 Shots, 27 Demos, 26.1% Shooting
• Owen Perry (Kor): 14 Goals, 10 Assists, 28 Saves, 53 Shots, 28 Demos, 26.4% Shooting

Looking ahead, Carthage Red (3-1) awaits a Week Six, off-stream, best-of-five series against the MSOE Raiders (4-0) tonight at 6:00 p.m. CST. Carthage JV [Black] (3-2) will receive a Week Six bye and focus solely on their upcoming Week Six NECC match.
 

WEC Week Five Recap: Rocket League Academy [White] (4-0) vs Wisconsin Lutheran College [WLC] (2-2)

Score: Carthage White 3, WLC 0

Carthage Academy [White], containing senior captain TJ Buchmann (Blase), sophomore Kaliek Wade (Akko), and freshman Jimmy Prims (ItSlurp17 aka ThePrimReaper), took on Wisconsin Lutheran College [WLC]. The team comes off a wild 4-1 victory over ISU White in Week Four. Two dramatic overtime finishes went Carthage's way—a great effort made to remain undefeated in the Fall 2025 WEC season. Against WLC, Carthage White brought in the brooms for a sweep. 

Game One was a 6-2 win for Carthage White. The team forced 12 shots on net, nearly doubling WLC. Prims had three goals on four shots with an assist and a save to boot. Buchmann recorded two goals on three shots with an assist and two saves. Lastly, Wade accumulated one goal on five shots with two assists and three saves. Overall, White held the momentum by never losing the lead after starting 2-0.

In Game Two, Carthage White maintained their grasp on the series with a 3-1 victory. Once again, the Firebirds never gave up a lead and were up 3-0 until WLC found a goal late in the contest. The team forced 16 shots against WLC's two shots. Buchmann, Prims, and Wade each scored a goal, showcasing a collective effort by everyone on offense.

To finish the series, Carthage White took a late 2-1 victory over WLC. At first, WLC held a 1-0 lead throughout most of Game Three. However, Buchmann tied the game 1-1. Then, Wade secured the game-winning goal at the 5-minute and 13-second mark. This game showed WLC's fire to extend the series. However, Carthage White came up clutch to prevent a Game Four.

Carthage White dominated in these major categories: Goals (11-4), Assists (7-2), Shots (36-10), and Demos (18-5). Prims finished with four goals, one assist, one save, 11 shots, and five demos. Buchmann followed with four goals, two assists, three saves, 15 shots, and 10 demos. Lastly, Wade logged three goals, four assists, three saves, 10 shots, and three demos. 

Player Comments [Jimmy Prims]: "All three of us played well. We kept a positive attitude which was a huge contribution. We constantly had good pressure and backed each other up which led us to win the series."

Fall 2025 WEC Season Player Stats Through Week Five – Carthage Academy (White)

• Jimmy Prims (ItsSlurp17): 11 Goals, Two Assists, 13 Saves, 33 Shots, Nine Demos, 33.3% Shooting
• Kaliek Wade (Akko): Seven Goals, 11 Assists, Eight Saves, 19 Shots, 17 Demos, 36.8% Shooting
• TJ Buchmann (Blasecupid): Seven Goals, Seven Assists, 10 Saves, 37 Shots, 17 Demos, 19% Shooting

Carthage RL Academy [White] (5-0) prepares for a WEC Week Six match against UW-Milwaukee Gold (5-0). It will be an off-stream, best-of-seven series tonight at 6:00 p.m. CST.

WEC Week Five Recap – Valorant (2-2) vs. Beloit College Buccaneers (4-0)

Score: Carthage 2, Beloit 0

For the first time since Week Three, Carthage Valorant is featured in a Fall 2025 WEC Weekly Recap. In Week Four, Carthage was the beneficiary of a Northcentral Technical College forfeit, putting them at a 2-2 record. Entering Week Five, Carthage Valorant prepared for the Beloit College Buccaneers. After a close battle, the Firebirds pulled out a 2-0 victory, moving themselves to 3-2 on the season. The roster consists of junior captain Sergio Musaitef (Gio), junior Aiden Hecht (Hecht), senior Mady Savage (Bunny), freshman Thalia Sullivan (Jellyfish), and freshman Charlie Post (Opt1mal). 

Valorant Game Explanation: Valorant is a five-versus-five character-based tactical FPS where teams switch between attacking and defending bomb sites. It's similar to Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege. However, Valorant is a more traditional shooter focused on precise gunplay and agent abilities on mostly static maps. Teams typically play best-of-three matches in the WEC. In each match, the winner is the first to win 13 rounds. Offensively, rounds are won either by eliminating the entire enemy team before planting the spike or by planting the spike and defending it from attackers. Defensively, rounds can be won in the same way as on offense, except defenders can also defuse the planted spike by eliminating the attackers.

Map One (Bind / 13-10 Win): To begin Carthage's night, they competed on the Bind map. Bind is a unique map with key features, including two main sites, A and B, connected by a teleporter system. This allows players to travel between different parts of the map. This layout encourages varied strategies, from aggressive pushes through narrow corridors to long-range duels on open sites. After a hard-fought Map One, the Firebirds earned a great 13-10 win. As a unit, Carthage tacked on 84 eliminations / 68 deaths (1.24 Team K/D), 29 assists, seven spike plants, and three spike defusals. 

Map One's best performer, belonging to Post. Once again, he asserted his dominance after a week off. Post finished with a 1.69 K/D after going 22 eliminations / 13 deaths, and added three assists and a spike plant. Alongside Post, the rest of Carthage Valorant recorded a 1 K/D or better. Sullivan finished 16-12 for a 1.33 K/D, led the team with 10 assists, and planted once. Savage made her presence felt, going 16-14 for a 1.14 K/D, two assists, and two spike plants. Musaitef went 18-17, good for a 1.05 K/D, five assists, and two spike plants. Lastly, Hecht went even (12-12) for a 1 K/D, nine assists, and a spike plant. Overall, a grand performance against Beloit College in Map One.

Map Two (Abyss / 13-7 Win): After a great Map One showcase, the Firebirds ran it back, securing a 13-7 win on the Abyss map. Abyss is a vertical map featuring two bomb sites, a central lane with significant verticality, and jump shortcuts that require precise movement to navigate, making it ideal for both snipers and those who can utilize movement abilities. The Firebirds combined for 78 eliminations / 67 deaths (1.16 Team K/D), 28 assists, seven spike plants, and four spike defusals. 

Map Two's best performer was Hecht. He posted a 1.9 K/D after logging 21 eliminations / 11 deaths and five assists. Following that, Sullivan went 15-12 for a 1.25 K/D, one spike plant, and led the team in assists once again with eight. Post finished with a 1.06 K/D after going 17-16 and adding three assists. Musaitef went neutral, 15-15 for a 1 K/D, five assists, and one spike plant. Lastly, Savage led the team in spike plants with five, recorded five assists, and finished 10-13 (0.76 K/D). Once again, Carthage Valorant showcased their toughness and battled within this best-of-three series. A huge win for a team that had an extra week of preparation.

Player Comments [Thalia Sullivan]: "I thought this was a great match against them [Beloit College], and I had a lot of fun. The team was somewhat similar in rank to us. The first map went really well, and that carried into our second map. Overall, solid games."

Fall 2025 WEC Season Player Stats Through Week Five – Carthage Valorant

• Charlie Post (Opt1mal): 181-120 (1.51 K/D), 45 Assists, Nine Spike Plants
• Sergio Musaitef (Gio): 135-128 (1.05 K/D), 40 Assists, Seven Spike Plants
• Aiden Hecht (Hecht): 111-114 (0.97 K/D), 69 Assists, Three Spike Plants
• Thalia Sullivan (Jellyfish): 105-118 (0.89 K/D), 68 Assists, 14 Spike Plants
• Mady Savage (Bunny): 89-112 (0.79 K/D), 30 Assists, 24 Spike Plants

Carthage Valorant (3-2) prepares for a WEC Week Six match against the MSOE Raiders (1-3). It will be an off-stream, best-of-seven series on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 6:00 p.m. CST.

Carthage Esports will return for WEC Week Five action starting tonight. Follow us on all social media platforms (@carthageesports) to stay updated. Follow our Twitch channel to get notifications when broadcasts go live. Note that WEC matches are off-stream during the fall as NECC matches take priority. Additionally, Carthage's WEC schedule can be viewed here, so you can always catch up on what teams are competing weekly during the Fall 2025 season.