KENOSHA, Wis. — Carthage Esports completed its Fall 2026 Wisconsin Esports Conference (WEC) Week Six matches on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Rocket League (RL) Red improved to 6-0, RL Black moved to 5-1, and Marvel Rivals earned its second consecutive win since Week Five to improve to 4-2 overall.

The seven-week regular season for RL Red, RL Black and Marvel Rivals officially concluded Friday, Nov. 6. In addition to today's WEC Week Six recap, the WEC Week Seven recap will be released tomorrow to account for a delayed release schedule. We thank everyone who supported our teams in any way during the Fall 2026 WEC regular season.

With regular-season competition complete, RL Red and RL Black are positioned to qualify for the Fall 2026 WEC Southeast Regional LAN event. This year's event will take place at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Union Recreational Center Esports Lounge Saturday, Nov. 14, through Sunday, Nov. 15. WEC Communications has created a Canva slideshow detailing event information.

Marvel Rivals, meanwhile, will participate in online playoffs, beginning with the quarterfinal round Wednesday, Nov. 11. If the Firebirds advance, a semifinal match will take place Wednesday, Nov. 18. The Fall 2026 WEC Marvel Rivals finals will be held Wednesday, Dec. 2, following a conference-wide Thanksgiving break. All important dates for the Fall 2026 WEC regular season and playoffs are available here.
 

Carthage RL Red completed an off-stream, best-of-five series against UW-Milwaukee Panthers Varsity Black on Monday, Oct. 26. The Firebirds came away with a 3-0 victory. With another series sweep, Firebirds Red (6-0, 18-0) maintained their hold on first place among 28 teams in the Fall 2026 WEC RL regular-season standings.

Carthage RL Red's roster features a sophomore trio consisting of captain Owen Perry (Kor), Kyle Branski (xray) and Jimmy Prims (ItsSlurp17), also known by his in-program nickname, ThePrimReaper. Throughout the best-of-five series, Firebirds Red faced Blahdat, Jxbu and Page from UW-Milwaukee Panthers Varsity Black.

In Game One, Firebirds Red battled through adversity to earn a 2-1 overtime win. After nearly four minutes of scoreless play, Jxbu broke the tie with a solo goal. Until that point, both teams had consistently shut each other down offensively. Panthers Black maintained steady offensive pressure, forcing six shots on net as a team, including three from Page. To counter the attack, Branski, Perry and Prims combined for six saves, with each making two goal-line stops before UW-Milwaukee's go-ahead goal.

Following the goal, Page remained aggressive and forced two more shots on Carthage's net. However, Branski and Perry stepped up defensively and turned the play back toward Panthers Black. After working the ball around, Perry set up a pass for Branski, who scored the game-tying goal with little time remaining in regulation. Once overtime began, Panthers Black did not get an opportunity to generate a shot, as Firebirds Red took immediate possession after the kickoff. Prims sent a shot on net with a centering attempt, and Perry raced in to secure the win for Carthage.

Game Two ended in a 3-0 win for Firebirds Red. During Game One, Panthers Black had generated nine shots on net within the opening 3:50. Carthage, however, stymied its chances and held the opposition to just three shots in Game Two. Perry opened the scoring within the first 36 seconds after Prims won a contested kickoff and set up the pass.

Carthage continued to limit UW-Milwaukee's offense with consistent defensive clears, despite demolitions by Blahdat and Jxbu, who combined for five in Game Two. The pressure never slowed Carthage's methodical offensive approach. Branski and Prims each added a goal to increase the scoring margin. Branski, Perry and Prims then continued their defensive efforts to give Carthage a 2-0 series lead.

Branski helped Firebirds Red complete the 3-0 sweep in Game Three, scoring the game-winning goal seconds before regulation expired. The game ended with a 3-2 score. Although Panthers Black were limited to four shots on net, they scored twice. Jxbu opened the scoring within 39 seconds, assisted by Blahdat. Prims responded quickly to tie the game at 1-1.

For the next three minutes, neither team broke the tie, despite Perry generating five shots on his own. Page anchored the Panthers Black defense with three saves. Perry eventually broke through to give Carthage a 2-1 lead. Shortly after, Jxbu tied the game at 2-2. With overtime approaching, Branski scored just before time expired. Firebirds Red finished with 13 shots on net, including six from Perry.

Overall, Carthage RL Red led in several major statistical categories: goals (8-3), assists (5-3), shots (26-16), shooting percentage (31% to 19%) and demolitions (16-10). Branski and Perry tied for the team lead with three goals each. Perry recorded a team-high six demolitions, while Prims tied Perry with two assists.

- Owen Perry (Kor): 40 goals, 21 assists, 21 saves, 98 shots, 19 demolitions, 41% shooting

- Kyle Branski (xray): 31 goals, 24 assists, 21 saves, 64 shots, 26 demolitions, 48% shooting

- Jimmy Prims (Slurp): 22 goals, 21 assists, 18 saves, 68 shots, 15 demolitions, 32% shooting

Carthage RL Red (6-0, 18-0) will prepare for the Fall 2026 WEC Southeast Regional LAN at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Union Recreational Center Esports Lounge Saturday, Nov. 14, through Sunday, Nov. 15.
 

Carthage RL Black earned a 3-0 sweep against Beloit College Buccaneers Varsity Gold on Monday, Oct. 26. With the Week Six victory, Firebirds Black (5-1, 15-7) remained among the top five teams out of 28 in the Fall 2026 WEC RL regular-season standings.

Carthage RL Black's roster features senior captain Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr), senior Lucas Menzer (Joystik) and junior Kaliek Wade (Akko). Throughout the best-of-five series, Firebirds Black faced Antarxtix, Kittenz and Nap from Beloit College Buccaneers Varsity Gold.

Game One ended in a 2-1 win for Firebirds Black. Within the opening 1:30, Carthage scored two unanswered goals, one each from Gilchrist and Wade. Near the midway point, Antarxtix scored for Buccaneers Gold off an assist from Kittenz. Beloit's offense was held to just two shots on net the rest of the way as Carthage's defense locked down. Neither team scored again before time expired. Firebirds Black recorded 12 shots, while Buccaneers Gold managed three.

Unlike the opening game, Game Two was a high-scoring affair, with Carthage earning a 5-3 victory. Within the first few minutes, Firebirds Black built another 2-0 lead as Menzer and Wade scored. Beloit then recorded three unanswered goals after winning contested kickoffs, with two from Antarxtix and one from Nap. Buccaneers Gold took a 3-2 lead, but Carthage responded with a three-goal run of its own. Wade scored twice in the second half, while Menzer added another goal. Gilchrist assisted on two of the three scores. With a 5-3 advantage, Firebirds Black held firm defensively, limiting Beloit to two shots on net before time expired. Carthage recorded 12 shots, including eight from Wade, while Beloit managed five as a team.

Firebirds Black closed out the series with a 2-1 victory in Game Three. Wade needed just 11 seconds to score, setting the tone early. Although Kittenz tied the game at 1-1 within the next minute, it would be Beloit's only goal. Menzer quickly regained the lead for Carthage off an assist from Gilchrist. Buccaneers Gold generated six shots on net for the remainder of the game, but the Firebirds defense combined for five saves.

Overall, Carthage RL Black led in several major statistical categories: goals (9-5), assists (9-3), shots (30-15) and demolitions (15-10). Wade led the team with five goals, while Gilchrist recorded a team-high six assists. Wade also led the team with five demolitions.

- Kaliek Wade (Akko): 28 goals, 16 assists, 30 saves, 67 shots, 75 demolitions, 42% shooting

- Lucas Menzer (Joystik): 22 goals, 20 assists, 40 saves, 50 shots, 36 demolitions, 44% shooting

- Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr): 13 goals, 13 assists, 28 saves, 44 shots, 24 demolitions, 30% shooting

- Ben Lagerhausen (Cosmic): 10 goals, five assists, zero saves, 25 shots, eight demolitions, 40% shooting

Carthage RL Black (5-1, 15-7) will prepare for the Fall 2026 WEC Southeast Regional LAN at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Union Recreational Center Esports Lounge Saturday, Nov. 14, through Sunday, Nov. 15.

Carthage Marvel Rivals earned a 3-0 victory against Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) JV Azure in an off-stream, best-of-five series on Wednesday, Oct. 28. After starting 2-2, the Firebirds have secured two consecutive sweeps, dating back to their Week Five matchup against Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) Stormers Varsity Blue. With the victory, Carthage Marvel Rivals (4-2, 14-8) remained among the top 10 teams in the Fall 2026 WEC regular-season standings out of 14 teams.

Carthage Marvel Rivals' starting lineup against FVTC JV Azure 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.

In recent weeks, the Firebirds have changed their team composition to match their strengths. The Santiago brothers play Vanguard, Hollis and Nelson are Duelists, while Anderson and Cooper stabilize the team at the Strategist position.

Map One: God Quarry – Domination, Carthage wins 2-0

To begin the series, Carthage earned a clean sweep on God Quarry in Domination, fueled by the Firebirds' damage dealers and tanks. Hollis led the DPS department with a game-high 25 kills and 10,996 damage, with only one death. Nelson complemented the effort with 24 kills and 10,073 damage. At Vanguard, the Santiago brothers combined for 47 kills and more than 16,400 damage. Anderson and Cooper kept things steady with 57 combined assists and more than 27,500 healing. FVTC struggled to break through the Firebirds' defense. However, SandwichGod and Unmasked_Magi tried to steady their team with more than 12,700 combined healing.

Map Two: Tokyo 2099 (Shin-Shibuya) – Convergence, Carthage wins 3-2

Map Two turned into a highly contested battle that the Firebirds narrowly won. Once again, Hollis led all players with 51 kills and 38,019 damage at the Duelist position. The Santiago brothers also had strong performances at Vanguard: Michael recorded 46 kills and 41,316 damage, while Matthew finished with 46 kills and 26,964 damage. FVTC fought back through Mechdark, who accumulated 27 kills and 25,708 damage, and SandwichGod, who added 23 kills and 34,553 damage. Unmasked_Magi anchored FVTC's backline with 63,448 healing.

Map Three: Tokyo 2099 (Spider Islands) – Convoy, Carthage wins 2-1

To seal the series, Carthage earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory on Spider Islands in Convoy. Hollis continued his strong performance with 29 kills and 16,571 damage, while Nelson recorded 26 kills and a map-high 22,323 damage. FVTC pushed the Firebirds to their limit behind Kol3ver_VT, who delivered a standout performance with 18 kills and 22,997 damage. Mechdark added 13 kills and 20,948 damage, while Unmasked_Magi recorded another 32,472 healing to keep FVTC in the fight until the end.

- Michael Santiago (Vanguard): 424 kills, 83 deaths, 198 assists, 368,986 forced damage

- Matthew Santiago (Vanguard): 367 kills, 60 deaths, 162 assists, 289,403 forced damage

- Hayden Nelson (Duelist): 383 kills, 94 deaths, 160 assists, 319,495 forced damage

- Adam Hollis (Duelist): 380 kills, 82 deaths, 58 assists, 294,694 forced damage

- Jacob Cooper (Strategist): 263 kills, 71 deaths, 471 assists, 91,321 forced damage, 479,773 healing

- Ethan Anderson (Strategist): 143 kills, 23 deaths, 261 assists, 62,266 forced damage, 200,407 healing

Statistical data from the Week Four match against Ripon College Varsity Red is missing.

Carthage Marvel Rivals (4-2, 14-8) will prepare for a Fall 2026 WEC quarterfinal playoff game against an opponent to be announced Wednesday, Nov. 11. The match will be an off-stream, best-of-five series. Follow @carthageesports on social media for updates on the team's opponent.

Carthage Esports is currently in season with NECC and WEC competition. Fall 2026 NECC livestreams are scheduled for Smash Bros. (Tuesdays), Rainbow Six (Wednesdays) and Overwatch (Fridays). This schedule applies to regular-season matches from the week of Sept. 28 through the week of Nov. 9. We extend our gratitude to everyone who consistently supports the Carthage Esports program.

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