KENOSHA, Wis. — Carthage Esports wrapped up its Week Five matches in the Fall 2026 Wisconsin Esports Conference (WEC) on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Through five weeks of competition, Rocket League (RL) Red remains undefeated at 5-0, RL Black sits at 4-1, and Marvel Rivals holds a winning record at 3-2. Marvel Rivals faced Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) Stormers Varsity Blue, while RL Red and RL Black competed against each other.

WEC matches for both RL and Marvel Rivals are not livestreamed on the Carthage Esports Twitch channel. However, supporters are encouraged to visit the Esports Arena or watch matches on a player's Twitch channel. RL competes in regular-season matches every Monday through Nov. 2, while Marvel Rivals competes every Wednesday through Nov. 4. Matches begin at 6 p.m. CST on their respective game days.

During the week of Oct. 12, the WEC held a league-wide fall break, and no matches were played. All teams returned to competition during the week of Oct. 19.

Fall 2026 WEC Week Five Recap: Carthage RL Red (5-0) vs. Carthage RL Black (4-1)

Series Score: Carthage Red 3, Carthage Black 0
Carthage RL Red and Carthage RL Black faced off in a rare intramural matchup, with both teams entering the series at 4-0. The WEC uses a Swiss-style format to determine matchups. According to WEC Communications, this format "allows matchups to adjust week-to-week based on current standings. As the season progresses, teams will increasingly face opponents with similar records, creating more competitive and meaningful regular-season matches."

Both Carthage RL teams completed an off-stream, best-of-five series on Monday, Oct. 19. With a 3-0 series sweep in Week Five, Firebirds Red (5-0, 15-0) moved into first place among 28 teams in the Fall 2026 WEC RL regular-season standings. Meanwhile, Firebirds Black (4-1, 12-5) dropped to fourth place, behind the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks JV Purple (4-1, 13-5) and UW-Stout Varsity Blue (4-1, 12-3).

Carthage RL Red's roster features a sophomore trio consisting of captain Owen Perry (Kor), Kyle Branski (xray), and Jimmy Prims (ItsSlurp17, also known as ThePrimReaper). Carthage RL Black's roster includes senior captain Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr), senior Lucas Menzer (Joystik), junior Kaliek Wade (Akko), and first-year transfer substitute Ben Lagerhausen (Cosmic).

In Game One, Firebirds Red earned a 4-1 victory over Firebirds Black. At the 4:17 mark, Branski scored the game's opening goal. After Prims pinched the ball off Gilchrist's car, Perry rotated and centered the ball off RL Black's crossbar. Following the rebound, Branski raced in as the third man and scored after Wade overcommitted on defense.

Roughly a minute later, Wade redeemed himself with an equalizer. As Menzer methodically carried the ball toward RL Red's right goalpost, Branski and Perry both jumped from their net to clear a potential shot. Perry carried the ball toward midfield, but Gilchrist intercepted his route, gained control, and set up a midfield pass to Wade. As Wade's ground shot came through, Prims was awkwardly positioned on RL Red's backboard and could not land in front of his net in time (3:07).

Neither team broke the 1-1 tie until Branski showcased excellent ball-carrying vision with less than a minute remaining. At the 0:51 mark, Branski sent a defensive clear down the left sideline. Menzer hit the ball down near RL Black's net, but Branski regained control and flicked the ball over Wade for a goal (0:47).

On the ensuing kickoff, Perry blocked a defensive clear by Gilchrist and bounced the ball toward midfield. Branski then accelerated and scored to make it 3-1 (0:41). Before time expired, Prims set up an alley-oop pass to Branski off RL Black's backboard, extending RL Red's lead to 4-1 (0:13).

Game Two ended with a 4-3 overtime victory for Firebirds Red. Wade gave Firebirds Black a 1-0 lead after Menzer initiated an offensive push by taking the ball away from Perry at midfield and juking out Prims (4:07).

At the 3:15 mark, Branski scored off another crossbar setup from Perry. A little while later, Firebirds Red took a 2-1 lead following a clutch back-wall save by Prims. After the defensive stand, Perry raced down the left sideline, elevated his car, and set up an alley-oop pass to Branski. Branski read the play and executed a double-tap (2:47).

Firebirds Red increased its lead to 3-1 after Perry demolished Wade. During the play, Gilchrist and Menzer were away from their net, leaving Perry with an open angle to score (1:13).

On the ensuing kickoff, Menzer controlled the ball near midfield and moved up the left sideline wall before Branski inadvertently hit him from behind. Although Branski intended to demolish Menzer, the contact sent Menzer airborne and helped him advance the ball toward the center of the field. Wade quickly reacted and scored with a shot from the right side (1:06).

RL Black then tied the game at 3-3 after Prims and Wade demolished each other on a kickoff. Menzer and Perry battled along the left sideline while Branski occupied the right. After respawning, Prims found himself in another awkward defensive position and attempted to clear the ball from RL Black's backboard. As Prims positioned himself, Menzer sent a floating pass to Wade, who redirected the ball into scoring position (0:57).

The 3-3 tie held through the end of regulation, sending both teams into overtime. After 16 seconds, Perry scored off a crossbar setup from Branski, with Prims providing a key bump on Menzer to help secure the victory.

To close out the series in three games, Firebirds Red won Game Three, 1-0, after a 2:28 overtime period. The series-clinching goal developed after Gilchrist missed an offensive pass from Menzer along the right sideline. Branski cleared the ball, advanced it toward midfield, and put Wade in a difficult defensive position. With Wade unable to help RL Black's defensive effort, Branski and Perry pushed toward the goal line. Perry served as a decoy to draw pressure while Branski rolled the ball past Gilchrist for the winning goal.

In Game Three, Firebirds Red recorded 17 shots on net, while Firebirds Black recorded seven.

Fall 2026 WEC Regular-Season Player Stats Through Week Five: Carthage RL Red

• Owen Perry (Kor): 37 goals, 19 assists, 16 saves, 86 shots, 13 demolitions, 43% shooting
• Kyle Branski (xray): 28 goals, 23 assists, 17 saves, 60 shots, 20 demolitions, 47% shooting
• Jimmy Prims (Slurp): 20 goals, 19 assists, 15 saves, 58 shots, 11 demolitions, 34% shooting

Carthage RL Red (5-0, 15-0) will prepare for a Week Six off-stream, best-of-five series against an opponent to be announced on Monday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. CST. Supporters can check Carthage Esports' social media accounts for updates and watch RL Red at the Esports Arena or on a player's Twitch channel.

Fall 2026 WEC Regular-Season Player Stats Through Week Five: Carthage RL Black

• Kaliek Wade (Akko): 23 goals, 15 assists, 26 saves, 53 shots, 71 demolitions, 43% shooting
• Lucas Menzer (Joystik): 19 goals, 18 assists, 35 saves, 42 shots, 31 demolitions, 45% shooting
• Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr): 12 goals, seven assists, 26 saves, 36 shots, 18 demolitions, 33% shooting
• Ben Lagerhausen (Cosmic): 10 goals, five assists, zero saves, 25 shots, eight demolitions, 40% shooting

Carthage RL Black (4-1, 12-5) will prepare for a Week Six off-stream, best-of-five series against an opponent to be announced on Monday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. CST. Supporters can check Carthage Esports' social media accounts for updates and watch RL Black at the Esports Arena or on a player's Twitch channel.

Fall 2026 WEC Week Five Recap: Carthage Marvel Rivals (3-2) vs. MATC Stormers Varsity Blue (0-5)

Series Score: Carthage 3, MATC Blue 0
Carthage Marvel Rivals swept MATC Stormers Varsity Blue in an off-stream, best-of-five series on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The previous week, the Firebirds fell 3-1 in a tough matchup against Ripon College Varsity Red (4-1, 12-4). With their Week Five victory, Carthage (3-2, 11-8) climbed from ninth to fifth place among 15 teams in the Fall 2026 WEC Marvel Rivals regular-season standings.

The Firebirds' Week Five roster included senior Ethan Anderson (Snowstorm), junior Adam Hollis (Hollister09), and freshmen Jacob Cooper (Void), Hayden Nelson (Hazzick), Matthew Santiago (Lumen), and Michael Santiago (Vader). All six players competed throughout the series without substitutions.

Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play, third-person, 6-vs.-6 team-based hero shooter developed by NetEase Games and Marvel Games. Players select well-known Marvel heroes and villains to compete in fast-paced, dynamic matches.

In the WEC, teams compete in three game modes: Convoy, Convergence, and Domination.

• Convoy: An escort mode in which one team pushes a payload cart along a designated path to reach a final point. The opposing team must defend the route and prevent the cart from advancing before time expires.
• Convergence: A hybrid mode that combines elements of Domination and Convoy. Teams initially fight to capture a control point, which unlocks a payload cart that the attacking team must escort through the map.
• Domination: A King of the Hill mode in which two teams fight to control and hold a central point on the map. The first team to fill its progress bar to 100% wins the round. This process continues in a best-of-three format.

Marvel Rivals also features three in-game character roles: Duelist, Strategist, and Vanguard.

• Duelist: Primary damage dealers who focus on securing eliminations and outplaying opponents. They have lower health pools and rely on strong positioning or precise aim.
• Strategist: Characters who stabilize team fights from the backline by healing teammates or providing utility through buffs.
• Vanguard: Frontline characters who use large health pools and damage-mitigation abilities to absorb enemy fire, control objectives, and create space.

For Carthage, Hollis and Michael Santiago primarily play Vanguards, Nelson and Matthew Santiago play Duelists, and Anderson and Cooper play Strategists. However, players may switch roles as needed to provide flexibility.

Map One: God Quarry — Domination, Carthage Wins 2-0

Carthage delivered a dominant opening map on God Quarry, shutting out MATC Varsity Blue, 2-0, in under six minutes. Five of the Firebirds' six players finished the map without a death.

Hollis spearheaded the offensive surge with a map-high 21 kills, nine final hits, and 8,287 damage. Nelson led all players in damage with 11,973 and recorded 19 kills. Meanwhile, Michael Santiago provided heavy frontline pressure with 18 kills and 14,476 blocked damage.

In the Strategist roles, Anderson recorded 9,144 healing, 21 assists, and 13 kills, while Cooper added 10,279 healing and 28 assists. Their performances helped neutralize MATC's offense and stabilize the Firebirds' push.

For MATC, JamesBond186 anchored the frontline with 13,979 blocked damage and 4,617 forced damage. DAFNII led the team's defensive effort with 17,789 blocked damage. Strategist Loujansen recorded 12,675 healing, while Spritetastic added 10,436 healing.

However, the Stormers' damage dealers struggled to break through Carthage's defensive front. Makka recorded 5,579 forced damage and one kill, while Jake1B finished with 5,268 forced damage and no kills.

Map Two: Empire of Eternal Night (Central Park) — Convergence, Carthage Wins 3-0

The Firebirds continued their dominance in Convergence on Central Park, securing a 3-0 map victory powered by an outstanding performance from Nelson. Playing primarily as a Duelist, Nelson recorded a series-high 24 kills, 14 final hits, and 20,460 damage while dying only twice.

Matthew Santiago became a formidable presence on the objective, absorbing 39,190 damage while recording 16 kills and 14,194 forced damage. Michael Santiago added 19 kills, 13,075 forced damage, and 24,730 blocked damage. Hollis contributed 18 kills, nine final hits, and 10,001 damage as the Firebirds consistently won team fights.

In the backline, Anderson delivered a strong healing performance with 27,147 healing, 20 assists, and 12 kills. Cooper complemented his effort with 18,352 healing and 27 assists.

MATC Varsity Blue received contributions from Makka (15,949 damage, nine kills), Krank (14,970 forced damage, 27,914 blocked damage, 10 kills), and JamesBond186 (14,654 forced damage, 17,480 blocked damage, 10 kills). However, the Stormers' support duo of Loujansen (21,059 healing) and DAFNII (17,552 healing) could not overcome Carthage's relentless attack.

Map Three: Empire of Eternal Night (Midtown) — Convoy, Carthage Wins 1-0

Carthage closed out the series with a 1-0 victory on Midtown in Convoy. Once again, five Firebird players finished the map without a death.

Michael Santiago earned MVP honors by leading Carthage's attack with 15 kills, six final hits, 10,430 forced damage, 3,713 blocked damage, and 7,629 healing. Cooper and Matthew Santiago each recorded 12 assists while dealing 11,637 and 3,691 damage, respectively.

Hollis recorded 12 kills, 10,049 forced damage, and 11,792 blocked damage, while Nelson added 11 kills, 12,517 forced damage, and 14,804 blocked damage. Their performances helped the Firebirds escort the payload without allowing MATC to mount a successful challenge.

Stormers Varsity Blue struggled to keep pace with Carthage's attack. Spritetastic absorbed much of the pressure, leading MATC with 25,361 blocked damage, 9,461 forced damage, and two eliminations. JamesBond186 added 9,207 damage, while Strategists Loujansen (15,621 healing) and DAFNII (11,851 healing) were unable to keep Makka (7,675 damage, one kill) and Krank (5,722 damage, one kill) alive long enough to contest the payload.

Fall 2026 WEC Regular-Season Player Stats Through Week Five: Carthage Marvel Rivals

• Michael Santiago (Vanguard): 331 kills, 70 deaths, 152 assists, 304,531 forced damage
• Adam Hollis (Vanguard/Duelist): 275 kills, 69 deaths, 44 assists, 222,847 forced damage
• Matthew Santiago (Vanguard/Strategist): 273 kills, 49 deaths, 145 assists, 234,149 forced damage, 206,399 healing
• Hayden Nelson (Duelist): 295 kills, 77 deaths, 133 assists, 258,522 forced damage
• Jacob Cooper (Strategist): 208 kills, 61 assists, 364 assists, 71,236 forced damage, 413,361 healing
• Ethan Anderson (Strategist): 89 kills, 17 assists, 140 assists, 40,439 forced damage, 121,173 healing
• Anna Westbrook (Strategist): 120 kills, 38 deaths, 106 assists, 80,855 forced damage, 90,832 healing

Statistical data from the Week Four match against Ripon College Varsity Red is missing.
Carthage Marvel Rivals (3-2, 11-8) will prepare for a Week Six off-stream, best-of-five series against an opponent to be announced on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. CST. Supporters can check Carthage Esports' social media accounts for updates and watch Marvel Rivals at the Esports Arena or on a player's Twitch channel.

Carthage Esports is currently competing in the NECC and WEC regular seasons. Fall 2026 NECC livestreams are scheduled for Smash Bros. on Tuesdays, Rainbow Six on Wednesdays, and Overwatch on Fridays. This schedule applies to regular-season matches from the week of Sept. 28 through the week of Nov. 9. Carthage Esports thanks everyone who consistently supports the program.

Follow @carthageesports on social media to stay updated on content for the upcoming Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 seasons. Follow the Carthage Esports Twitch channel for notifications when broadcasts go live. Finally, look for recaps on the Carthage Athletics Esports page as the Fall 2026 NECC and WEC seasons continue.