KENOSHA — While all five Carthage Esports teams (RL Red, Black, White, Grey, and Valorant) participated in the Wisconsin Esports Conference (WEC) postseason at some capacity, RL Red won the Southeast Regional LAN and the Fall 2025 Championship at UW-Stout, cementing themselves as a powerhouse.

This article will discuss how each team performed in the regular season, the Regional LAN, and the Championship Bracket (if applicable). Additionally, each team's Regional and Championship statistics (if applicable) will be listed alongside what Spring 2026 holds for them.

Rocket League Red-Fall 2025 WEC Champions

Carthage RL Red, including senior captain Alex Vaile (Vaile), freshman Owen Perry (Kor), and freshman Kyle Branski (xray), completed a fantastic campaign together. Fall 2025 was the first time these players built team chemistry with each other at the collegiate RL level.

In the Fall 2025 WEC regular season, the team finished 5-1 overall with a 17-8 game record – enough to finish sixth place and clinch the Southeast Regional LAN's No. 4 seed. The Firebirds secured notable wins over UW-Stout (3-1 in Week Three), Carthage RL JV [Black] (3-2 in Week Four), Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) Raiders (3-0 in Week Six), and UW-Milwaukee Black (3-1 in Week Seven).

Upon concluding the regular season, Alex Vaile said, "There were some moments when we didn't play as well as we could have." Despite this, Vaile expressed that the team was feeling confident with the recently gained momentum and ready to tackle the Southeast Regional LAN.

On Saturday, Nov. 15, the Carthage Esports Arena hosted a WEC Southeast Regional LAN competition. Saturday included Group Stage competitions for all four Rocket League teams as well as the Valorant team. These Group Stages followed a round-robin format. In Group A, Carthage Red achieved a clean 4-0 overall and 12-0 game record. Branski, Perry, and Vaile did not drop a single series or game within a best-of-five series. The following teams were conquered: Carthage RL Academy [White], Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) Stormers, MSOE Raiders, and UW-Milwaukee Black.

One day later, Carthage Red competed in the Southeast Regional LAN Playoff Bracket as the No. 1 seed. In Round One's upper bracket, the Firebirds took down No. 8 MSOE Red, 3-0. Next, Carthage Red eliminated No. 4 MSOE Black, 3-0, in Round Two. While waiting for its final opponent, a Carthage vs Carthage matchup was destined to occur. After a near comeback from Carthage Academy, Carthage JV held on to win 3-2 in upper bracket Round Two. To wrap up the Southeast Regional LAN, Firebirds Red punched their ticket to the WEC Championship Group Stage with a convincing 4-0 sweep against No. 2 Carthage RL JV.

With two sections of their season completed, Branski, Perry, and Vaile craved a conference championship. Behind Coach Timmy Connors, the players believed they could reach their ultimate goal. Upon the Fall 2025 NECC season concluding with a silver banner on Wednesday, Dec. 3, Vaile credited his coach."Our success would not be possible without Coach Timmy Connors, who has always kept us in the right headspace and always had a game plan for us to improve during a series if needed."

Similar to November's Southeast Regional LAN, the WEC Championship included Group and Playoff stages. Instead of having home-arena advantage, the Firebirds traveled to UW-Stout's upgraded Esports Arena. Although the Blue Devils played in their backyard, Carthage Red was prepared to block out the noise. To preface, the WEC Championship began with a Group Stage on Saturday, Dec. 6, and concluded with the Championship Bracket on Sunday, Dec. 7. In the Group Stage, Carthage Red achieved a 4-0 overall and 12-0 game record to earn the No. 1 seed in the Championship Bracket. Subsequently, they defeated the following teams: Carthage Academy (3-0), UW-Milwaukee Black (3-0), UW-Stout (3-0), and UW-Whitewater (3-0).

For the Championship Bracket, teams followed a single-elimination, best-of-seven format. In quarterfinal action, the Firebirds swept No. 8 UW-Eau Claire 4-0. Next, Carthage Red handled business against No. 5 UW-Stout once more, defeating them 4-0 in the semifinals. At last, Branski, Perry, and Vaile reached the Fall 2025 WEC Championship match. Their opponent was No. 2 Waukesha County Technical College [WCTC] Blue. Before this, these two teams faced off in Week One. In that match, WCTC Blue won 3-2 in a close series. In hindsight, this series win helped WCTC's Tyy secure the Fall 2025 WEC RL regular-season MVP award. However, Carthage Red was determined to make up for its only loss.

Carthage Red's crowning moment came on Sunday, Dec. 7. The Firebirds collected their early regular-season receipt and cashed it in for a 4-2 statement win over WCTC Owls Blue. Throughout the Fall 2025 competitive season, Alex Vaile, Owen Perry, and Kyle Branski have secured a trio of titles, with no signs of slowing down. The writing on their wall includes the Red Cedar Rumble, the Fall 2025 WEC Southeast Regional, and the Fall 2025 WEC Championship. En route to their State Championship win, Owen Perry carved his own path of dominance, which led to him receiving the Fall 2025 WEC State MVP award.

With the Spring 2026 season on their horizon, Carthage Red will compete in on-stream NECC and off-stream Wisconsin Collegiate Rocket League (WCRL) matches. Given how Fall 2025 demonstrated the Firebirds' relentless pursuit, they could acquire even more hardware down the stretch.
 

Rocket League Academy (White)-Finished Fifth in Fall 2025 WEC Championship Bracket

Carthage RL Academy [White] includes a talented roster of senior captain TJ Buchmann (Blasecupid), sophomore Kaliek Wade (Akko), and freshman Jimmy Prims (ItsSlurp17 aka ThePrimReaper). This team possessed the passion to hang with any team they faced. Although no title came their way, Firebirds Academy was grateful for a top-three Regional finish and a top-five State finish.

In the Fall 2025 WEC regular season, the team finished 7-0 overall with a 21-0 game record, securing a first-place finish in the standings. Among a forfeit win spree, Carthage Academy showcased its dominance in matches against MSOE Red (3-0 in Week One) and UW-Green Bay Phoenix (3-0 in Week Seven). Given their first-place podium, Carthage Academy became the Southeast Regional LAN's No. 1 seed.

After their regular-season finale vs. UW-Green Bay, TJ Buchmann stated, "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…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 [against the teams we were scheduled to face]. 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 10 team we know we are."

Then, Carthage Academy dialed in for the Southeast Regional LAN on Saturday, Nov. 15. The team competed in a Southeast Group A Stage against these teams: Carthage RL Red, MATC Stormers, MSOE White, and UW-Milwaukee Black. In all, Buchmann, Prims, and Wade took down every listed team except Carthage Red, losing 3-0. Despite that, the Firebirds earned second-place in Southeast Group A, going 3-1 overall and possessing a 9-5 game record. One day later, Carthage Academy was reseeded at No. 3 for the Playoff Bracket given their performance in the Group Stage.

To begin its Southeast Regional Playoff Bracket run, the Firebirds swept UW-Milwaukee Gold 3-0, which provided them with an increased desire to keep pushing. However, Buchmann, Prims, and Wade ran into Carthage RL JV [Black], who were the No. 2 seed. It took all five games in the series to decide a winner. Carthage JV won 3-2 despite multiple comeback efforts from Carthage Academy. This series reminded everyone that Buchmann, Prims, and Wade can hang with stronger teams. The Firebirds wrapped up their Southeast Regional Bracket run with a 4-1 victory against MSOE Black in the third-place game.

Since Carthage Academy did not win the Southeast Regional Bracket, they and Carthage JV were slated to compete in Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQs). Instead of a large bracket, there were six separate sudden-death matches. Essentially, a win-or-go-home stipulation was applied to these matchups: Carthage JV vs. Lakeland, UW-Whitewater Gray vs. UW-Milwaukee Gold, Carthage Academy vs. UW-Superior, WCTC vs. Wisconsin Lutheran College, UW-River Falls vs. UW-Milwaukee Black, and MSOE Black vs. UW-Eau Claire.

In the end, Carthage Academy gutted out a 4-3 series win against UW-Superior. Down 3-2 in the series, the Firebirds found a way to pull off a comeback. In Game Six, Carthage Academy flipped a 2-1 score deficit to a 3-2 lead thanks to back-to-back goals from Prims and Wade. However, UW-Superior player Halsty tied the game 3-3, leading to an overtime showdown. After fighting for a minute and 23 seconds, Wade scored the game-winning shot off an assist from Prims. Game Seven was a commanding 4-1 win for the Firebirds – headlined by a hat-trick from Buchmann.

With their backs to the wall, Carthage Academy rose to the occasion and clinched a spot in the Fall 2025 WEC Championship Group Stage. After a three-week break from scheduled WEC competition, the Firebirds competed in the Championship Group A Stage on Saturday, Dec. 6. This group included Carthage RL Red, UW-Milwaukee Black, UW-Stout Blue, and UW-Whitewater Gray. Carthage Academy finished with a 1-3 overall record and a 4-10 game record. Their sole victory was a 3-1 win against UW-Whitewater Gray.

Thankfully, a top-four placement in the Championship Group A Stage netted the Firebirds an opportunity to compete in a Play-In match vs. UW-Green Bay on Sunday, Dec. 7. Carthage Academy swept UW-Green Bay, 3-0, punching their ticket to the Fall 2025 WEC Championship Bracket. However, their appearance was short-lived as they were swept 4-0 in quarterfinal action against WCTC Owls Blue. Despite the short duration, Carthage Academy fought its way to a top-five finish in the Championship Bracket, cementing itself as a top-ten team at the conclusion of Fall 2025's WEC season.

Final Fall 2025 WEC Regional Stats – Carthage RL Academy [White] – Eight Matches

• TJ Buchmann (Blasecupid): 47 Goals, 28 Assists, 47 Saves, 110 Shots, 39 Demos, 42.7% Shooting
• Kaliek Wade (Akko): 38 Goals, 28 Assists, 58 Saves, 105 Shots, 69 Demos, 36.2% Shooting
• Jimmy Prims (ItsSlurp17): 33 Goals, 34 Assists, 36 Saves, 106 Shots, 48 Demos, 31.1% Shooting

Final Fall 2025 WEC Championship Stats – Carthage RL Academy [White] – Six Matches

• TJ Buchmann (Blasecupid): 15 Goals, Three Assists, 26 Saves, 44 Shots, 37 Demos
• Jimmy Prims (ItsSlurp17): 14 Goals, 10 Assists, 25 Saves, 39 Shots, 17 Demos
• Kaliek Wade (Akko): 10 Goals, 13 Assists, 39 Saves, 41 Shots, and 33 Demos

For Spring 2026, Carthage Academy will look forward to proving doubters and matchmakers wrong while competing in on-stream NECC and off-stream WCRL matches. The tandem of Buchmann, Prims, and Wade will be one to keep your eyes on as we continue the 2025-26 competitive year for Carthage Rocket League.
 

Rocket League JV (Black)-Finished Seventh in Fall 2025 WEC Championship Bracket

Next, we have Carthage RL JV [Black]. The team of junior captain Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr), junior Lucas Menzer (Joystik), and senior Tanner Lee (Flare) was determined to shake up the competition during the Fall 2025 WEC season, coinciding with their dominance in the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC).

In the Fall 2025 WEC regular season, the team finished 4-2 overall with a 15-11 game record, securing a 12th-place finish in the standings. Notable regular-season victories came against WCTC Owls White (3-2 in Week One), UW-Milwaukee Black (3-1 in Week Two), and UW-River Falls (3-2 in Week Seven). Although it was a 3-2 loss, Carthage JV came close to knocking off Carthage Red in Week Five after responding to an early 0-2 series deficit. Given their regular-season pedigree, Carthage JV was awarded the No. 7 seed in the Southeast Regional Group Stage.

After their regular-season finale vs. UW-River Falls, Penn Gilchrist stated, "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 [Carthage Red and WCTC Owls Blue], while taking three games combined [Two vs Carthage Red and One vs WCTC Owls Blue] off both teams. Overall, I am thrilled with our performance." Additionally, Penn remained excited about the prospect of competing at the Southeast Regional LAN.

On Saturday, Nov. 15, Carthage JV prepared for the Southeast Regional Group B Stage against the following teams: Carthage RL Club [Grey], MSOE Red, MSOE Raiders, UW-Milwaukee Gold, and UW-Milwaukee White. Lee, Gilchrist, and Menzer finished in first place with a 4-0 overall and 12-2 game record. For the Sunday Playoff Bracket, the Firebirds were reseeded as No. 2, given their dominant performance in the Group B Stage.

Carthage JV's run began with a 3-0 sweep against the MATC Stormers in Round One of the upper-bracket. Next, the Firebirds engaged in a tenacious battle vs. Carthage RL Academy [White]. As previously mentioned, this series extended to a Game Five as Carthage Academy was not losing without a valiant effort left on the virtual soccer field. In Game Five, Carthage JV won 3-2 after holding a 3-1 lead for a long while thanks to a hat-trick performance from Lee. In the Southeast Regional LAN Grand Final, the Firebirds were stonewalled by Carthage Red and lost 4-0. Carthage JV concluded the Regional LAN with a second-place finish.

Similar to Carthage Academy, Carthage JV competed in a sudden-death, win-or-go-home LCQ match. The Firebirds' opponent was Lakeland University. Throughout the four-game series, Carthage held the Muskies to only one goal scored. Gilchrist and Menzer each scored a goal in Game One's 2-0 win. In Game Two, the Firebirds peaked with a 7-0 victory with six goals belonging to Gilchrist, one for Lee, and five assists for Menzer. Game Three was a 1-1 stalemate until Menzer secured a 2-1 victory off an assist from Lee. Lastly, Game Four was a 4-0 win for Carthage as Gilchrist scored three times and Menzer scored once. After powering through their LCQ, Carthage JV was primed for the WEC Championship Group Stage.

After a three-week break from scheduled WEC competition, Carthage JV competed in the Championship Group B Stage on Saturday, Dec. 6. This group included WCTC Owls Blue, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay Phoenix, and UW-River Falls F1. In the end, the Firebirds finished 3-1 overall with a 12-1 game record. The team's sole loss came against WCTC Owls Blue (3-0 shutout). Thanks to their second-place finish in Group B, Carthage JV was awarded the No. 4 seed in the Championship Bracket. 

However, their Championship Bracket run lasted until quarterfinals against the UW-Stout Blue Devils (4-1 loss). Despite this, Carthage JV proved that when adversity entered their field of view, the team could establish exceptional chemistry to win matches they were favored in and fight hard against the strongest teams.

Final Fall 2025 WEC Regional Stats – Carthage RL JV [Black] – Eight Matches

• Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr): 42 Goals, 20 Assists, 41 Saves, 111 Shots, 56 Demos
• Lucas Menzer (Joystik): 28 Goals, 33 Assists, 35 Saves, 110 Shots, 32 Demos
• Tanner Lee (Flare): 27 Goals, 25 Assists, 18 Saves, 98 Shots, 32 Demos

For Spring 2026, Carthage JV will look forward to on-stream NECC and off-stream WCRL matches. The team chemistry between Penn Gilchrist, Lucas Menzer, and Tanner Lee will be one to watch as they continue to chase their goals.
 

Rocket League Club (Grey)-Finished Fifth in Fall 2025 WEC Southeast Regional Group Stage 

To wrap up the Carthage Rocket League portion of this article, we have Carthage RL Club [Grey]. The team's roster includes sophomore captain Timothy Fendrick (Hvstl), junior Joshua Martin (RacingDevilz), and junior Andrew Czysz Jr (TurbidJuggler). All three members forged chemistry late in the season, enough to earn two wins and secure a Southeast Regional appearance.

In the Fall 2025 WEC regular-season, Carthage Club finished 2-5 overall with a 9-16 game record. In the standings, Firebirds Club finished in 32nd place. Their signature win came against Wisconsin Lutheran College [WLC] (3-1 win in Week Seven). Based on WEC seeding procedures, the No. 11 seed was awarded to Czysz, Fendrick, and Martin. After a late-season surge, Firebirds Club earned a chance to compete in the Southeast Regional LAN Group B stage.

After defeating Wisconsin Lutheran College 3-1, Czysz stated, "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 a chance to dust myself off and resume my playing career to help our program. Competing with Devilz and Hvstl by my side was a great experience. We supported one another and grew behind the scenes. Despite the 2-5 record, we are pleased with how we concluded our season." Lastly, Carthage RL Club aimed to play their best and have a great time at the Southeast Regional LAN.

On Saturday, Nov. 15, Firebirds Club faced off against the following teams: Carthage JV, MSOE Raiders, MSOE Red, and UW-Milwaukee Gold. Unfortunately for Czysz, Fendrick, and Martin, they finished with a 0-4 overall and 0-12 game record. Despite these unfavorable results, the Firebirds competed valiantly against higher-ranked teams.

Although their run ended at the Southeast Regional LAN, the team is proud of what they accomplished. Without their late regular-season surge, Carthage RL Club [Grey] would not have qualified for a Regional LAN appearance. For Spring 2026, the Firebirds will look internally to find new roster members, as Andrew Czysz Jr. will resume his journalistic duties for Carthage Esports, producing weekly recap articles for NECC and WEC competitions.
 

Valorant-Finished Fourth Place in Fall 2025 WEC Southeast Regional Playoff Bracket

Carthage Valorant entered the Southeast Regional LAN with the expectation of winning a few matches after a solid regular-season campaign. The team'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). 

For Fall 2025's regular season, Carthage Valorant went 3-4 overall, with a 7-8 map record, finishing 14th in the standings. Furthermore, the team was awarded the No. 4 seed in the Southeast Regional LAN. Freshman Charlie Post became a top fragger for Carthage Valorant, meaning that he had the highest kill-to-death ratio out of any roster member. 

Post accumulated a 1.28 K/D, translating to 235 kills over 184 deaths. Since Post has contributed significantly, the future of Carthage Valorant is in excellent hands. He could be the nucleus moving forward, despite only being a freshman. Another highlight is Thalia Sullivan, who posted a 0.77 K/D (140 Kills / 143 Deaths), recorded the second most assists (86), and planted the spike 17 times. Sullivan has made a good impression on the team's composition in her first semester.

Musaitef, Hecht, and Savage represent a great foundation for the team following their 3-2 Division VII Midwest NECC championship victory over Robert Morris on April 7, 2025. In the Fall 2025 WEC regular-season, Musaitef finished with a 0.95 K/D (181 Kills / 191 Deaths), Hecht followed with a 0.86 K/D (153 Kills / 178 Deaths), and Savage recorded a 0.66 K/D (114 Kills / 173 Deaths). While each player has a different performance metric, they have all worked together to establish a solid starting point alongside Post and Sullivan.

Upon the regular season's conclusion, Sullivan stated, "For me, this was a fun experience as a transfer. Never had 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."

On Saturday, Nov. 15, the Firebirds competed in the Southeast Regional Group Stage for Valorant. Within their group, Carthage competed against the following teams: MSOE Red, UW-Milwaukee Black, and UW-Milwaukee Gold. The result was a 1-2 overall and 1-2 map record. With these four teams listed in the Southeast Regional LAN, all teams automatically qualified for the Sunday, Nov. 16 Playoff Bracket. 

In Round One, the Firebirds fell 2-0 to UW-Milwaukee Black. Subsequently, Carthage Valorant faced UW-Milwaukee Gold in the third-place game and lost 2-0. As a result, the Firebirds finished fourth in the Southeast Regional LAN, missing the opportunity to advance toward the Fall 2025 WEC Valorant Championship Group Stage.

Carthage Esports will return to off-stream WEC competition this February. Specifically, Smash Bros will play on Wednesdays. Overwatch 2 and League of Legends will both play on Thursdays. Once again, Rocket League will compete in off-stream WCRL matches in Spring 2026. Lastly, Valorant will focus solely on NECC competition. Be on the lookout for Spring 2026 weekly recaps written by Andrew Czysz Jr. Follow us on all social media platforms (@carthageesports) to stay updated. Follow the Esports Twitch channel to get notifications when broadcasts go live.