KENOSHA — To finish the regular season, Carthage RL Red beat UW-Milwaukee Black, RL Black earned a hard-fought victory over UW River Falls, RL White swept UW Green Bay Phoenix, and RL Grey earned its first non-forfeit win against Wisconsin Lutheran College. Valorant suffered a crushing 2-0 series loss against the WCTC Owls.

This article will analyze the performance of all four Carthage Rocket League teams, as well as Carthage's Valorant team.

WEC Week Seven Recap – Rocket League Red (5-1) vs UW-Milwaukee Black (3-3)

Score: Carthage Red 3, UWM Black 1

Heading into Week Seven, Carthage Red's mission was to finish their regular season strong. After a 3-0 sweep against MSOE in Week Six, the Firebirds used it as fuel to keep pushing. On Monday, Nov. 3, senior captain Alex Vaile (Vaile), freshman Owen Perry (Kor), and freshman Kyle Branski (xray) handled business against UW-Milwaukee Black, winning 3-1 in their best-of-five series. 

As a result, Carthage Red finished with a 5-1 overall and 17-8 game record – enough to finish sixth place in the Fall 2025 WEC regular season standings and clinch the upcoming Southeastern Regional LAN as a fourth-seeded team.

Game One included a 3-1 Carthage Red victory. Within one minute, Vaile tallied the first goal off an assist from Branski. For the next four minutes, the Firebirds and Panthers engaged in a defensive battle that included three saves for UW-Milwaukee player Page, while Blahdat recorded one save. Then, Blahdat found an angle to even the score 1-1. While facing a tie, the Firebirds quickly responded with a Branski goal assisted by Perry. Immediately following this score, Branski found the net a second time to give Carthage a two-goal lead before Game One ended. 

Game Two showcased a lopsided affair as Carthage Red won 6-0. UW-Milwaukee was rattled on offense, forcing only one shot on net. Thanks to their incredible defense, the Firebirds established a potent offensive attack—accumulating 12 shots on net. Perry and Vaile came away with three goals each. Additionally, Perry tacked on two assists, while Branski had one.

Game Three saw UW-Milwaukee adjust to combat Carthage Red's tenacious offense, and won 1-0. In the opening minute, Panthers player and WIHSEA Alumni, JDE, scored the lone goal off an assist from Page. As a unit, UW-Milwaukee saved the ball six times, four from Page alone. Carthage forced nine shots on net, in hopes of building momentum to close the series 3-0. However, UW-Milwaukee lived to fight another day.

Carthage took time to regather itself before Game Four. With a reignited spark, the Firebirds earned a 6-1 win to close the series. In total, Carthage Red forced 17 shots on net, creating more scoring opportunities. At one point, the Firebirds led 4-0 thanks to two goals by Perry, one from Branski, and one from Vaile. Although UW-Milwaukee player Page scored one goal, it was too late for a comeback. In all, Perry scored three goals on five shots with an assist. Branski recorded two goals on five shots with two assists. Vaile put up one goal on seven shots with two assists.

Carthage Red led in these major statistical categories: Goals (15-3), Assists (10-2), and Shots (49-15). Across the series, Perry finished with six goals, four assists, four saves, 17 shots, and six demos. Next, Vaile logged five goals, two assists, five saves, 15 shots, and four demos. Lastly, Branski tacked on four goals, four assists, three saves, 17 shots, and three demos.

Season Comments [Alex Vaile]: "Overall, we felt that our season was solid and nearly reached a 6-0 record. There were some moments when we didn't play as well as we could have. Recently, however, we've been feeling confident and are ready to head into the Regional LAN this coming weekend."

Final Fall 2025 WEC Regular Season Player Stats – Carthage RL Red

• Owen Perry (Kor): 25 Goals, 17 Assists, 34 Saves, 85 Shots, 40 Demos, 29.4% Shooting
• Alex Vaile (Vaile): 25 Goals, 20 Assists, 31 Saves, 93 Shots, 39 Demos, 26.9% Shooting
• Kyle Branski (xray): 24 Goals, 23 Assists, 27 Saves, 93 Shots, 31 Demos, 25.8% Shooting

Carthage RL Red (5-1) gears up for WEC's Fall 2025 Southeastern Regional LAN on Saturday, Nov. 15, hosted at the Carthage Esports Arena.

WEC Week Seven Recap – Rocket League JV [Black] (4-2) vs UW River Falls F1 (5-2)

Score: Carthage Black 3, UWRF 2

Carthage JV [Black] returned to Fall 2025 WEC regular-season action after a Week Six bye. In Week Five, JV gave Carthage Red a run for their money. Despite a 3-2 loss against their counterpart, it provided the team with a valuable experience to keep themselves motivated. On Monday, Nov. 3, Carthage JV engaged in a thrilling best-of-five series against UW-River Falls F1, earning a 3-2 victory. 

As a result, Carthage JV [Black] finished with a 4-2 overall and 15-11 game record – enough to finish 12th place in the Fall 2025 WEC regular season standings and clinch the upcoming Southeast Regional LAN as a seventh-seeded team. The roster includes junior captain Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr), junior Lucas Menzer (Joyystik), and senior Tanner Lee (Flare).

Game One was a narrow 4-3 loss for the Firebirds. Within the opening two minutes, Carthage JV gained an early 2-0 lead after Lee and Menzer both scored a goal each. Gilchrist was there to assist them. Midway through Game One, UWRF player and WIHSEA alumnus, Dalo, scored two goals, one of them assisted by Olvai, to tie the score 2-2. Menzer would then find Lee for a score to make it 3-2. However, Dalo scored a late third goal to force a 3-3 scoreline. After a tight defensive battle, Game One went into overtime. Within six seconds of overtime, Olvai set up his teammate Eke beautifully after a kickoff to secure a game-winning goal against Carthage JV.

Game Two's objective for Carthage was to shut down Dalo after his three-goal performance in Game One. This time, the Firebirds limited UW-River Falls to just three shots on net. Offensively, Gilchrist and Lee were on the same wavelength. Gilchrist scored two goals off two excellent assists from Lee. Menzer contributed with two shots and one save on defense. As a team, Carthage JV forced nine shots on net. 

Game Three was a direct sequel to Game One, except Carthage JV pulled out an overtime win. The Firebirds jumped out to a one-goal lead thanks to Gilchrist. UWRF player Eke found the net after a pass from Dalo. With a 1-1 tie, Carthage scored a second goal after Menzer found Gilchrist. In response, UWRF's offense cooked up two goals to gain a 3-2 lead. Olvai was credited for both after Dalo and Eke recorded one assist each. Before the four-minute mark of regulation time, Menzer assisted another Gilchrist goal to tie the game 3-3. For the next three minutes and four seconds, both teams played stellar defense. Then, in a 45-second overtime, Lee passed the ball to Gilchrist, who completed a four-goal performance, catapulting Carthage to a 2-1 series lead.

Game Four was UWRF's chance to force a Game Five, and they accomplished their mission. Dalo kicked off with a goal assisted by Olvai. Next, Lee found the net as Menzer set him up with a great pass, tying the game 1-1. The final goal came from Dalo within two and a half minutes into regulation. Despite Carthage JV's best efforts to close the series out in four games, they could only force five shots on net. On defense, the Firebirds allowed five shots on their net. The difference was UWRF's ability to score early and maintain momentum.

Game Five was a chance for Carthage JV to prevail in a five-game series after nearly taking down Carthage Red two weeks ago. Within the first minute, the Firebirds grasped a 2-0 lead after Gilchrist and Menzer scored one goal each. In response, Eke found Olvai for UWRF's first goal. To keep themselves afloat, Lee found Gilchrist for the team's third goal. River Falls kept itself within one goal after Eke scored. For the last two minutes and forty-seven seconds, Carthage stonewalled UWRF on defense and added two insurance goals to achieve a 3-2 series win, courtesy of Gilchrist and Lee.

Carthage JV [Black] led in these major statistical categories: Goals (15-11) and Assists (13-9). The Firebirds were tied with River Falls in Shots (36-36). Gilchrist topped out with nine goals, two assists, six saves, 14 shots, and six demos. Lee followed with four goals, five assists, seven saves, 12 shots, and four demos. Lastly, Menzer finished with two goals, six assists, nine saves, 10 shots, and five demos.

Season Comments [Penn Gilchrist]: "This was a productive regular season for us. We were victorious against the teams we thought we should beat. In turn, we lost to the top two teams in the league, while taking three games combined off both teams. Overall, I am thrilled with our performance and am looking forward to the LAN this weekend."

Final Fall 2025 WEC Regular Season Player Stats – Carthage RL JV [Black]

• Lucas Menzer (Joyystik): 22 Goals, 19 Assists, 32 Saves, 77 Shots, 36 Demos, 28.6% Shooting
• Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr): 20 Goals, 14 Assists, 36 Saves, 69 Shots, 43 Demos, 29% Shooting
• Tanner Lee (Flare): 16 Goals, 14 Assists, 27 Saves, 65 Shots, 21 Demos, 24.6% Shooting

Carthage RL Black (4-2) gears up for WEC's Fall 2025 Southeastern Regional LAN on Saturday, Nov. 15, hosted at the Carthage Esports Arena.

WEC Week Seven Recap – Rocket League Academy [White] (7-0) vs UW–Green Bay Phoenix (3-4)

Score: Carthage White 3, UWGB 0

For the first time since Week Five, Carthage Academy [White] competed in Fall 2025 WEC action. This week, the Firebirds took down the UW-Green Bay Phoenix in a 3-0 sweep on Monday, Nov. 3. In Week Six, Carthage Academy was given a forfeit win over UW-Milwaukee Gold. 

As a result of sweeping UW-Green Bay, Carthage Academy [White] finished with a 7-0 overall and 21-0 game record. These statistics earned the team a first-place finish in the Fall 2025 WEC regular season standings. Additionally, Carthage Academy will enter the Southeastern Regional LAN as a first-seeded team. The roster includes senior captain TJ Buchmann (Blase), sophomore Kaliek Wade (Akko), and freshman Jimmy Prims (ItsSlurp17 aka ThePrimReaper).

Game One was a 2-1 win for the Firebirds. Buchmann scored the first goal off an assist from Prims. UW-Green Bay player Hzrd assisted his teammate Clege to tie things up 1-1. For the next four minutes, both teams attempted to break the tie. However, overtime was in the cards. After battling for a minute, Wade secured the game-winning goal as Buchmann assisted him. Carthage Academy forced 10 shots on net, four more than UWGB (four).

Game Two became a slaughter as Carthage Academy took an 11-1 victory. At one point, Green Bay had the game tied 1-1. However, the Firebirds broke free for 10 unanswered goals. Buchmann topped out with five goals on seven shots and added three assists. Prims accumulated five goals on nine shots with two assists. Wade had one goal on four shots with three assists. This single-game performance showcased Carthage Academy's ability to take things to another level against inferior competition. 

To wrap this series up, the Firebirds won 4-1 in Game Three. After the Phoenix tallied an opening goal, Carthage Academy scored four unanswered goals. Once again, Carthage was dominant at the point of attack and handled the situation effectively. All three players scored at least one goal, with Prims recording the most – two goals. 

Carthage Academy dominated in these major statistical categories: Goals (17-3), Assists (14-3), Shots (37-14), and Demos (21-7). Prims finished with seven goals, four assists, one save, 13 shots, and five demos. Buchmann followed with seven goals, six assists, four saves, 14 shots, and four demos. Lastly, Wade tallied three goals, four assists, two saves, 10 shots, and a whopping 12 demos.

Season Comments [TJ Buchmann]: "From the season's onset, it seemed that we were underestimated. As a team, we [Carthage Academy] were ranked No. 14 to start the year. Even then, I knew that our team was one of the most solid teams I've ever been part of. Everyone knew their role and could execute in a way that worked for them. Going undefeated in the first half was assisted by forfeit wins, but I have no doubt we would have won those games if they were played. Entering the second half and still being ranked outside the top ten in power rankings added even more fuel to perform as a team. For what it's worth, we were never given a single matchup against power-ranked teams. So we went in and took care of business again. While we are not the best team in the state, our goal has always been to make it to the state championship at UW-Stout and be the top ten team we know we are."  

Final Fall 2025 WEC Regular Season Player Stats – Carthage RL Academy [White]

• Jimmy Prims (ItsSlurp17): 18 Goals, Six Assists, 14 Saves, 46 Shots, 14 Demos, 39.1% Shooting
• TJ Buchmann (Blase): 14 Goals, 13 Assists, 14 Saves, 51 Shots, 21 Demos, 27.5% Shooting
• Kaliek Wade (Akko): 10 Goals, 15 Assists, 10 Saves, 29 Shots, 29 Demos, 34.5% Shooting

Carthage RL White (7-0) gears up for WEC's Fall 2025 Southeastern Regional LAN on Saturday, Nov. 15, hosted at the Carthage Esports Arena.

WEC Week Seven Recap – Rocket League Club [Grey] (2-5) vs. Wisconsin Lutheran College [WLC] JV (1-6)

Score: Carthage Grey 3, WLC JV 1

On Monday, Nov. 3, Carthage RL Club [Grey], consisting of sophomore captain Timothy Fendrick (Hvstl), junior Joshua Martin (RacingDevilz), and junior Andrew Czysz Jr (TurbidJuggler), earned a signature 3-1 series win over Wisconsin Lutheran College JV. In Week Six, the team finished 1-5 after a forfeit win from UW-Madison and a close 3-2 loss vs. UW-Whitewater Purple. Carthage RL Club was all-in on ending their regular season with a non-forfeit win. The team's preparation showed in their ability to maintain control despite a couple of hiccups.

As a result of their victory over WLC JV, Carthage Club [Grey] finished with a 2-5 overall and 9-16 game record – enough to finish 32nd place in the Fall 2025 WEC regular season standings and clinch the upcoming Southeast Regional LAN as an 11th-seeded team.

Game One was a 4-0 win for Carthage RL Club. The Firebirds did a great job of controlling time and establishing a consistent offense. Out of the team's four goals, Fendrick accounted for half, while Czysz Jr and Martin secured one each. Czysz Jr tacked on two assists and two saves, showcasing his ability to be complementary for the team. Fendrick racked up six demos, which helped give the team breathing room to execute on both sides of the ball. As a team, Carthage RL Club forced 13 shots on net, which demonstrated their urgency to create a plethora of scoring opportunities.

Game Two was a 3-2 loss in overtime against WLC JV. This game was handled well by Carthage RL Club until the end of regulation. At one point, the Firebirds held a 2-1 lead, but were outplayed by WLC JV's methodical offensive adjustments. WLC player DaBomb contributed two goals, while his teammate Jay Skulls secured one. On the Carthage side, Czysz Jr and Martin scored one goal each. After taking a moment to talk things over, Carthage achieved a 2-0 win in Game Three. Once more, the Firebirds were back in the driver's seat. The defense was so effective that they didn't need to record a single save on net. Czysz Jr and Martin scored one goal each. Fendrick complemented with four shots on net and two demos.

Game Four came down to a dramatic overtime finish. Within three minutes and seven seconds into regulation, Czysz Jr would find an opening in WLC's defense to give Carthage RL Club a 1-0 lead. Roughly two minutes later, Jay Skulls responded to tie it up 1-1. After playing great defense for the rest of regulation, which included four saves from Martin, the Firebirds were tasked with another overtime period. Approximately 40 seconds into overtime, Fendrick set the ball in front of WLC's net, but was rejected. Then, Martin came in as the second man and won a 50/50 challenge on the ball, turned out, and left it up for Czysz Jr to make a fast aerial play to score a series-winning goal. 

Carthage RL Club led in these major statistical categories: Goals (10-4), Shots (46-23), and Demos (18-10). For what it's worth, both Carthage and WLC were tied in Assists (4-4). Czysz Jr topped out with five goals, two assists, four saves, 12 shots, and three demos. Martin tacked on three goals, two assists, five saves, 14 shots, and one demo. Lastly, Fendrick secured two goals, zero assists, three saves, 20 shots, and 14 demos.

Season Comments [Andrew Czysz Jr]: "Entering this season, Carthage RL Club's starting lineup was uncertain. However, when it became clear that I would become a starter on this team, I was thrilled to get the chance to dust myself off and resume my playing career to help the program. Competing with Devilz and Hvstl has been a great experience. We support one another and grow as a unit behind the scenes. Despite the 2-5 record, we are pleased with how we concluded our season. I am proud to say that I have learned more about Rocket League by playing alongside these two talented individuals. It has rekindled that competitive passion formed at Horlick High School during my junior and senior years. Heading into this weekend's LAN, we aim to play our best and have a great time."

Final Fall 2025 WEC Regular Season Player Stats – Carthage RL Club [Grey]

• Andrew Czysz Jr (TurbidJuggler): 15 Goals, Five Assists, 20 Saves, 33 Shots, 16 Demos, 45.4% Shooting*
• Joshua Martin (RacingDevilz): 12 Goals, Three Assists, 29 Saves, 53 Shots, Eight Demos, 22.6% Shooting*
• Timothy Fendrick (Hvstl): 10 Goals, Eight Assists, 29 Saves, 45 Shots, 35 Demos, 22.2% Shooting*

* Indicates that some statistical information is missing

Carthage RL Grey (2-5) gears up for WEC's Fall 2025 Southeastern Regional LAN on Saturday, Nov. 15, hosted at the Carthage Esports Arena. 
 

WEC Week Seven Recap – Valorant (3-4) vs. Waukesha County Technical College [WCTC] Owls (4-3)

Score: WCTC 2, Carthage 0

On Thursday, Nov. 6, Carthage Valorant sought to rebound from a rocky performance in Week Six against the MSOE Raiders. Despite their late efforts, the Firebirds suffered their second consecutive 2-0 series loss in Week Seven. This time, it came while competing against the Waukesha County Technical College [WCTC] Owls. Carthage Valorant's roster includes junior captain Sergio Musaitef (Gio), junior Aiden Hecht (Hecht), senior Mady Savage (Bunny), freshman Thalia Sullivan (Jellyfish), and freshman Charlie Post (Opt1mal). 

As a result of their 2-0 loss vs. WCTC, Carthage Valorant finished with a 3-4 overall and 7-8 map record, enough to finish 14th place in Fall 2025 WEC regular season standings. Additionally, the Firebirds will enter the Southeastern Regional LAN as a fourth-seeded team.

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. Teams must capture 13 round wins to be credited with a "Map victory." This process repeats until one team has won two maps. 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 / 13-4 Loss): Much like Week Six, the Firebirds began its night 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. Despite their best efforts, Carthage recorded 50 eliminations / 71 deaths (0.70 Team K/D), 15 assists, and seven spike plants as a team.

Map One's best performer was Post, who went 15-15, equating to a 1.00 K/D. Next, Sullivan registered a 0.84 K/D after finishing 11-13 while leading the team with eight assists. Musaitef ended with a 0.80 K/D after going 12-15. Additionally, Musaitef tacked on three assists and two spike plants. Hecht went 10-14, good for a 0.71 K/D, while tacking on four assists and two spike plants. Lastly, Savage finished with a 0.14 K/D after going 2-14 while leading the team with three spike plants.

Map Two (Pearl / 13-10 Loss): After a brutal 13-4 loss, the Firebirds took their talents to the Pearl map. Pearl is described as a two-site, three-lane map focusing on mid-lane control, team coordination, and mechanical skill. The complex mid-section branches into paths leading to both A and B sites. Rotations are notably long, making mid-lane control crucial for both attackers and defenders. The A site is open with longer sightlines, while the B site features condensed corners and crates, requiring defenders to hold angles carefully. Once again, Carthage was prevented from taking a map and lost 13-10.

The Firebirds finished with 67 eliminations / 88 deaths (0.76 Team K/D), 29 assists, four spike plants, and four spike defusals. Map Two's best performer was Musaitef, who went 25-16 (1.56 K/D) and added five assists. Following him, Post earned a 1.14 K/D after going 16-14 with five assists and a spike plant. Next, Savage finished 11-19 (0.57 K/D) while accumulating four assists. Hecht finished 8-19 (0.42 K/D) and led Carthage with 12 assists. Lastly, Sullivan went 7-20 (0.35 K/D) with three assists and three spike plants. Overall, the Firebirds gave a great effort in Map Two after a slower start in Map One.

Season Comments [Thalia Sullivan]: "For me, I think it was a fun experience as a transfer. Never have I done anything like it, and I believe that will help me improve during the in-season games. I've gotten to know the team a little better, and I hope that will help us win together as a team."

Final Fall 2025 WEC Regular Season Player Stats – Carthage Valorant

• Charlie Post (Opt1mal): 235-184 (1.28 K/D), 54 Assists, 10 Spike Plants
• Sergio Musaitef (Gio): 181-191 (0.95 K/D), 55 Assists, Nine Spike Plants
• Aiden Hecht (Hecht): 153-178 (0.86 K/D), 89 Assists, Five Spike Plants
• Thalia Sullivan (Jellyfish): 140-183 (0.77 K/D), 86 Assists, 17 Spike Plants
• Mady Savage (Bunny): 114-173 (0.66 K/D), 35 Assists, 27 Spike Plants

Carthage Valorant (3-4) gears up for WEC's Fall 2025 Southeastern Regional LAN on Saturday, Nov. 15, hosted at the Carthage Esports Arena. 

Carthage Esports will return to WEC competition on Saturday, Nov. 15, and Sunday, Nov. 16. Additionally, our broadcasting team will help livestream the Fall 2025 WEC Southeastern Regional LAN for Rocket League and Valorant. A follow-up article will be released later this week, providing information on the tournament's format and schedule. Follow us on all social media platforms (@carthageesports) to stay updated. Follow our Twitch channel to get notifications when broadcasts go live.