KENOSHA — As the PCs are fired up and team morale is reignited, Carthage Esports competed in Week One of the Wisconsin Esports Conference (WEC) regular season. Four Rocket League teams and Valorant were eager to grind after a long summer. Two Rocket League teams soared while the others came close to wins. Valorant impressed with a decisive victory.
WEC Week One Recap (Rocket League - Firebirds and JV)
To begin our recap, we will analyze the performance of all four teams: Firebirds [Red], Firebirds JV [Black], Firebirds Academy [White], and Firebirds Club [Grey]. The Red, Black, and Grey teams competed on Monday, Sept. 15, while White played in a rescheduled match on Friday, Sept. 19.
Carthage Firebirds [Red] took on Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) Owls Blue in a best-of-five match. Although it was a 3-2 series loss, it was still competitive for senior captain Alex Vaile (Vaile), freshman Owen Perry (Kor), and freshman Kyle Branski (xray). The Firebirds took Game One by a 5-2 score thanks to three goals by Vaile, and each member recorded an assist. For Game Two, Perry recorded two pivotal saves that kept Carthage in the running to secure a 2-0 series lead. Additionally, Perry and Vaile recorded one goal.
Game Three was a sign of momentum shifting. WCTC countered the Firebirds' defensive strategy, taking a 4-2 win. Branski and Vaile scored a goal each, while Branski and Perry each recorded two saves. WCTC claimed Game Four with a 4-3 score. Branski recorded two goals while Perry complemented his teammate with two assists and three saves to keep Carthage in the game. Lastly, WCTC shut down Carthage to claim a reverse-sweep after a 1-0 final in Game Five. Each member recorded two or more saves. Although Carthage Firebirds [Red] started 0-1, optimism remains.
Player Comments (Kyle Branski): "We started out well but could not close out the series. However, our scrims look promising. In the future, we need to transfer that into our actual games because we start well, but struggle to close our series."
Next, Carthage Firebirds JV [Black] faced WCTC Owls White in a series resembling that of a seesaw. The tandem of senior captain Tanner Lee (Flare), junior Lucas Menzar (Joyystik), and junior Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr) battled hard to earn a gutsy 3-2 series win. Game One was a narrow 2-1 loss with Menzar scoring the lone goal, along with forcing seven shots on WCTC White's net. Game Two was a 1-0 win for Firebirds JV [Black] after Lee scored a goal. Also, Gilchrist and Menzer recorded three saves combined.
In Game Three, Carthage pulled away with a 5-3 win. Gilchrist led the team in goals with three. Menzar recorded two goals, two assists, and two saves. Lee contributed with two assists and a save. The team outshot WCTC White 13-6. However, Game Four came, and WCTC White won 4-0. The Owls completely shut down Carthage's offense. Gilchrist forced five shots and recorded two saves, while Lee and Menzar recorded three saves combined. Lastly, Firebirds JV [Black] achieved a 3-0 Game Five victory. Lee led the way with two goals, Gilchrist recorded one goal and an assist, and Menzar recorded one assist. A great team win ignites motivation in Carthage Firebirds JV [Black] to keep going.
Player Comments (Penn Gilchrist): "I think we have prepped well going into the season and feel like a top contender. WCTC White is a solid team. The main reason it was so close is that we were feeling a bit nervous due to it being the first match."
WEC Week One Recap (Rocket League - Firebirds Club and Academy)
Carthage Firebirds Club [Grey] battled against UW-Stout Blue Devils JV. A series that started hot for sophomore captain Tim Fendrick (Hvstl), junior Andrew Czysz Jr (Turbidjuggler32), and junior Josh Martin (RacingDevilz). However, a 3-1 series loss was suffered. In Game One, Czysz recorded two goals while Martin scored one, while also recording a save and five shots on net. A 3-2 win was secured. In Games Two and Three, Firebirds Club [Grey] struggled to generate offensive pressure, losing them 2-0 and 3-0, respectively. All members contributed to the save department across both games. However, it was not enough to stop the Blue Devils. Lastly, Game Four became an even 4-4 contest at one point until offensive miscues prompted the Blue Devils to take a lead. Despite a 12-5 Game Four loss, Fendrick recorded three goals, Czysz and Martin each scored one. Lastly, Czysz recorded three saves before Game Four was lost. Despite the late defensive meltdown, Firebirds Club [Grey] remains confident in its ability to improve as a tandem.
Player Comments (Andrew Czysz Jr): "We entered the match with high morale and were excited to play as a team for the first time competitively. Although we ebbed and flowed throughout the series, it gave us a sense of motivation to work on tightening loose ends after each game. Although we suffered a 3-1 loss, we had spirited conversations on how to improve going forward. I am confident in myself, Tim, and Josh to turn things around and get in the win column soon."
Lastly, Carthage Firebirds Academy [White] played Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) Raiders Red. Junior captain TJ Buchmann (Blasecupid), sophomore Kaliek Wade (Akko), and freshman Jimmy P. (ItsSlurp17) claimed a 3-0 sweep on Friday, Sept. 19. Firebirds Academy [White] took Games One and Two by a 2-1 score, respectively. Then, Game Three was a 1-0 shutout win for the team. Overall, a great performance for Carthage Firebirds Academy [White].
Player Comments (Kaliek Wade): "I was hyped to start our season and weigh in on how we compare to the other non-Carthage teams in the league [WEC]. Safe to say, we had a great start with a 3-0 win. I believe our squad has a lot of potential. Blase and Slurp are great teammates, and I think we can use this as momentum within the coming weeks."
WEC Week One Recap (Valorant)
Ending our recap, Carthage Valorant took WCTC Owls JV in a best-of-three contest on Thursday, Sept. 18. Valorant won the series 2-0 in dominant fashion. The roster comprised junior captain Sergio Musaitef (Gio), junior Mady Savage (Bunny), sophomore Aiden Hecht (Hecht), freshman Thalia S (Jellyfish), and freshman Charlie P (Opt1mal).
Quick Valorant Explanation: For those new to Valorant, it 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.
The Firebirds started their night on the Ascent map. After establishing momentum early on, Carthage took Game One 13-2. The team recorded 70 eliminations / 36 deaths (1.9 K/D Ratio), 35 assists, three spike plants, and one spike defusal. Game One's MVP was Charlie P (Opt1mal), who recorded 23 eliminations to nine deaths for a 2.55 K/D ratio, and 10 assists. Sergio finished with a 2.14 K/D ratio after going 15-7, and secured three assists. Mady went 12-5 for a 2.4 K/D ratio, one assist, and led the team with two spike plants. Aiden went 7-9 for a 0.77 K/D ratio and led the team with 11 assists. Lastly, Thalia went 13-6 for a 2.16 K/D ratio alongside 10 assists and one spike plant.
For Game Two, Carthage played on the Bind map. Once again, the Firebirds started hot early and gained steam quickly. The result was a 13-3 victory. The Firebirds' team stats included 74 eliminations to 42 deaths (1.76 K/D ratio), 23 assists, 11 spike plants, and one spike defusal. Game Two's top performers were Sergio and Thalia. Sergio went 17-8 for a team-leading 2.12 K/D ratio, five assists, and one spike plant. Thalia went 16-9 for a 1.77 K/D ratio, three assists, and a team-leading five spike plants. Other performances include Charlie P, who went 20-10 (2 K/D ratio) and recorded six assists and two spike plants. Aiden went 15-8 for a 1.87 K/D ratio and a team-leading eight assists. Lastly, Mady went 6-7 for a 0.85 K/D ratio, had one assist, and planted the spike three times.
Carthage Esports will partake in WEC Week Two starting this Monday, Sept. 22. Three Rocket League teams will play in off-stream best-of-five matches at 6 pm CST. Firebirds [Red] are on a bye, while Firebirds JV [Black], Firebirds Academy [White], and Firebirds Club [Grey] have matches. Firebirds JV faces UW-Milwaukee Black, Firebirds Academy awaits UW-Madison, and Firebirds Club plays against UW-Superior. Then, Valorant will compete on Thursday, Sept. 25, in an off-stream best-of-three match against UW-Milwaukee Gold.
Follow us on all social media platforms (@carthageesports) to stay updated. Follow our Twitch channel to get notifications when broadcasts go live. 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.
