KENOSHA — For WEC Week Three, RL Red competed after a Week Two bye. JV and Academy secured victories, while RL Grey and Valorant struggled to get wins. Matches for all four RL teams and Valorant took place between Monday, Sept 29, and Thursday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 4.

To preface, Carthage RL Academy (White), consisting of senior captain TJ Buchmann (Blasecupid), sophomore Kaliek Wade (Akko), and freshman Jimmy Prims (ItSlurp17), was awarded a forfeit win vs UW-Milwaukee on Monday, Sept. 29. Carthage RL Academy [White] (3-0) will return to action on Monday, Oct. 6 at 6:00 pm CST for an off-stream best-of-five series against UW-Whitewater Purple (0-3) 

Despite RL Academy's forfeit win, all other teams competed in the WEC Week Three competition. This article will analyze the performance of said teams. 

WEC Week Three Recap – Rocket League Red (0-1) vs. UW-Stout Blue Devils (0-1)

Score: Carthage 3, UW-Stout 1

Exiting the Week Two bye, Carthage RL Red, comprised of senior captain Alex Vaile (Vaile), freshman Owen Perry (Kor), and freshman Kyle Branski (xray), were eager to even their regular season record to 1-1. With an extra week of preparation, the newly formed tandem wanted to make a statement. 

To start, Game One recited a 2-1 Carthage win. Branski and Vaile led the charge with one goal each. Vaile added two saves. The Firebirds outshot UW Stout 12-3, with four times as much pressure on the net as their opposition. For Game Two, the Blue Devils struck back with a 2-1 win. UW-Stout's Alpharay and Voltdestroyer score one goal. They contributed to nine shots on net, four more than Carthage, who had five total. Game Three was a Perry showcase, where he secured three goals, an assist, and three saves to help the Firebirds earn a 4-2 win. Branski contributed with one goal, an assist, and two saves. Vaile helped out by assisting twice. Game Four became a display of phenomenal pressure from Carthage that included 17 shots on net. Perry led the team with two goals and one assist. Branski and Vaile complemented their teammate by scoring one goal each. UW-Stout got only three shots on net, showcasing how lockdown Carthage's defense had become.

Carthage Red led in these major categories: Goals (11-5), Assists (9-5), Shots (43-26), and Demos (20-18). Throughout the series, Perry recorded five goals, two assists, five saves, 15 shots, and nine demos. Branski followed with four goals, four assists, three saves, 17 shots, and seven demos. Lastly, Vaile accumulated two goals, three assists, seven saves, 11 shots, and four demos. 

Player Comments (Alex Vaile): Overall, we were thrilled with the Week 3 win over Stout. They are a solid team, but we knew how they play going into it. Coach Timmy really helped us prepare for what Stout was attempting throughout the series. They caught us off guard a bit in Game Two, but we regained our composure and closed out the series well in Games Three and Four. We will continue to be confident moving forward and truly believe we can go on a run over the next few weeks. Very excited for the rest of the season!

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

• Kyle Branski (xray): Nine Goals, Seven Assists, 12 Saves, 30 Shots, 13 Demos
• Alex Vaile (Vaile): Seven Goals, Four Assists, 12 Saves, 23 Shots, 14 Demos
• Owen Perry (Kor): Seven Goals, Six Assists, 14 Saves, 30 Shots, 10 Demos

Carthage RL Red (1-1) awaits Waukesha County Technical College [WCTC] Owls White (1-2) for an off-stream best-of-five series on Monday, Oct. 6 at 6:00 pm CST. 

WEC Week Three Recap – Rocket League JV [Black] (2-0) vs. UW-Madison (0-2)

Score: Carthage 3, UW-Madison 0

Entering with increased momentum after a Week Two victory against UW-Milwaukee, Carthage (JV) Black were hungry for more. In a rescheduled match on Saturday, Oct. 4, the team of junior captain Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr), junior Lucas Menzer (Joyystik), and senior Tanner Lee (Flare) secured a 3-0 sweep against UW-Madison.

Game One saw Menzer score two goals on four shots for the Firebirds. Gilchrist complemented with a goal of his own, while Lee contributed with two assists. Carthage outshot UW-Madison 14-4. Game Two showcased Black's ability to maintain constant pressure on their opponent's net, forcing 12 shots on net. Lee had two goals off four shots, Menzer got two of his own and a couple of assists, and Gilchrist had one assist and a save. All of it led to a 4-2 Game Two victory. To wrap up the series, Carthage took a 3-2 lead in Game Three. 

Carthage Black led in these major categories: Goals (7-3), Assists (6-3), and Shots (26-9). Menzer led the way with four goals, two assists, one save, 11 shots, and two demos. Lee followed with two goals, three assists, two saves, 10 shots, and no demos. Lastly, Gilchrist recorded one goal, one assist, one save, five shots, and five demos.

Player Comments (Penn Gilchrist): "Although UW-Madison gave it their all, the matchup was highly favorable. However, this series did show us small flaws in our game that will be ironed out against WCTC Owls Blue on Monday [October 6]."

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

• Lucas Menzer (Joyystik): 14 Goals, Seven Assists, Seven Saves, 39 Shots, 12 Demos
• Tanner Lee (Flare): Seven Goals, Seven Assists, Seven Saves, 34 Shots, 12 Demos
• Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr): Seven Goals, Eight Assists, 11 Saves, 35 Shots, 19 Demos

Carthage RL Black (2-0) awaits Waukesha County Technical College [WCTC] Owls Blue (2-0) for an off-stream best-of-five series on Monday, Oct. 6 at 6:00 pm CST. 

WEC Week Three Recap – Rocket League Club [Grey] (0-2) vs. UW-Whitewater Black (2-0)

Score: UW-Whitewater 3, Carthage 0

After a better week of practice, Carthage RL Club (Grey) was eager to obtain its first victory after a 0-2 start. The team of sophomore captain Tim Fendrick (Hvstl), junior Josh Martin (RacingDevilz), and junior Andrew Czysz Jr (TurbidJuggler) worked hard this past week to refine their strategy as a team.

Game One prompted a close 3-2 score. However, Carthage RL Club (Grey) came up a bit short. The Firebirds contended well as Czysz and Fendrick scored one goal each, while Martin played a pivotal role on defense by recording two saves. Game Two became a snowball of momentum for UW-Whitewater Black as they won 8-1. The Firebirds became overwhelmed on defense after a goal scored by Martin. Game Three prompted a near-last-second comeback from Carthage. Czysz scored two pivotal goals to cut their deficit to 3-2 with the help of Fendrick. With about 10 seconds left, Fendrick performed an aerial maneuver above UW-Whitewater's net, nearly scoring. However, the Warhawks would save the ball and force it to go past Czysz, who was waiting for a clean-up shot. Time expired, and Club (Grey) heartbreakingly fell to 0-3.

Carthage RL Club (Grey) secured more demos than UW-Whitewater (22-16). However, they were pinned on defense more often, saving the ball 29 times, and being outscored 17-8 across all three games played. Czysz led the team with four goals, two assists, nine saves, 10 shots, and two demos. Fendrick followed with two goals, two assists, 11 saves, six shots, and 16 demos. Lastly, Martin recorded two goals, no assists, nine saves, seven shots, and four demos.

Player Comments (Andrew Czysz Jr): Heading into this series, we believed we could challenge UW-Whitewater Black despite our record. Our practice last Friday was improved, and we were communicating very well. However, in this series, we allowed the opponent too much time and momentum early on, which set us back. Going forward, we need to find a consistent way to gain an advantage early in a series and keep that momentum going. I am proud of my team's effort to fight through this series despite a 3-0 loss."

Fall 2025 WEC Season Player Stats Through Week Three – Carthage Club (Grey)

• Andrew Czysz Jr (TurbidJuggler): Seven Goals, Three Assists, 13 Saves, 14 Shots, Five Demos*
• Tim Fendrick (Hvstl): Four Goals, Six Assists, 14 Saves, 12 Shots, 12 Demos*
• Josh Martin (RacingDevilz): Four Goals, No Assists, 18 Saves, 24 Shots, Five Demos*

Carthage RL Club [Grey] (0-3) battles against UW-Eau Claire Blugold Varsity (3-0) in a Week Four, off-stream best-of-three series on Monday, Oct. 6 at 6:00 pm CST.
 

WEC Week Three Recap – Valorant (1-1) vs. UW-Madison White (1-1)

Score: UW-Madison 2, Carthage 0

Ending our recap, Carthage Valorant competed against UW-Madison White in a best-of-three series on Thursday, Oct. 2. Valorant suffered a tough 2-0 loss from the Badgers. The roster includes junior captain Sergio Musaitef (Gio), senior Mady Savage (Bunny), junior Aiden Hecht (Hecht), and newcomers Thalia Sullivan (Jellyfish) and 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 (Abyss / 13-11 Loss): To start Carthage's night, they played on the Abyss map. A map that is vertical, team-reliant, and retake-focused. Agents (characters that competitors choose from in-game) who can control lines of sight from multiple angles are highly valuable options for attacking and defending. The Firebirds played a close 13-11 game, falling short against UW-Madison. The team had 79 eliminations / 93 deaths (0.85 K/D), 32 assists, eight spike plants, and four spike defusals.

Map One's best performer was Post, who went 31-17 (1.82 K/D) and tacked on four assists with two spike plants. Following Charile, Musaitef went 17-19 (0.89 K/D), complemented with five assists and two spike plants. Next, Savage went 11-19 (0.57 K/D) with eight assists and a team-high three spike plants. Sullivan followed with the same K/D as Savage, but with six assists and a single spike plant. Lastly, Hecht went 9-19 (0.47 K/D) with a team-leading nine assists and no spike plants. 

Map Two (Haven / 13-0 Loss): In an effort to force Map Three, the Firebirds took their talents to Haven. A large, strategically complex Valorant map known for its unique three-bomb site layout, which forces both attacking and defending teams to manage significant space and anticipate cross-map rotations. Attackers must coordinate to pressure all three sites, while defenders are spread thin but can use their central position for rotations. Unfortunately for Carthage, they suffered a monumental 13-0 defeat at the hands of UW-Madison. The team accumulated only 26 eliminations against 65 deaths (0.40 K/D), nine assists, five spike plants, and no spike defusals.

Despite the gut-wrenching loss, Musaitef was Carthage's best performing player by a short margin. He went 10-13 (0.76 K/D) with a single assist. Hecht and Sullivan both went 6-13 (0.46 K/Ds respectively). However, Sullivan garnered more assists, three, and more spike plants, two. Lastly, Post and Savage both went 2-13 (0.15 K/Ds respectively). Savage secured three assists and two spike plants, while Charlie only mounted one assist.

Player Comments (Thalia Sullivan): "I think our first game was decent, though I think we got caught up in their ranks. In the next game, our team morale went down, and I think it's something we should work on in the future. We want to win, but we aren't gonna win if we are getting tilted."

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

• Charlie Post (Opt1mal): 142-91 (1.56 K/D), 39 Assists, Eight Spike Plants
• Sergio Musaitef (Gio): 102-96 (1.06 K/D), 30 Assists, Four Spike Plants
• Aiden Hecht (Hecht): 78-91 (0.86 K/D), 55 Assists, Two Spike Plants
• Thalia Sullivan (Jellyfish): 74-94 (0.79 K/D), 50 Assists, 12 Spike Plants
• Mady Savage (Bunny): 63-85 (0.74 K/D), 23 Assists, 17 Spike Plants

Carthage Valorant (1-2) clashes with Northcentral Technical College (2-1) in a Week Four, off-stream best-of-three series on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 6:00 pm CST. 

Carthage Esports will return for WEC Week Four action starting Monday, Oct 6. 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.