KENOSHA, Wis. — Kyle Branski (xray), a sophomore studying chemistry from Sturtevant, Wisconsin, is one of Carthage Rocket League Red's starting players. He competes in three-versus-three virtual car soccer matches across the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC), Wisconsin Esports Conference (WEC) and, at times, other regional leagues such as Midwest Collegiate Rocket League (MCRL).

For those unfamiliar, Rocket League is a free-to-play vehicular soccer video game developed by Psyonix and owned by Epic Games, the developer behind Fortnite. Often described as "soccer with rocket-powered cars," players use acrobatic vehicles to hit a giant ball into the opposing team's net within a strict five-minute time limit.

Branski's passion for video games began early, thanks to his father, who introduced him to the Nintendo Wii, Xbox One and other consoles. In particular, Branski followed Rocket League since its July 7, 2015, release on PlayStation 4 and Windows. However, he did not start playing regularly until 2019. Branski's drive to learn Rocket League's mechanics intensified when he identified an esports program where his brother served as president.

"My brother was the Esports President at my high school, Walden III. So, I always knew about the esports program's existence. I wanted to participate and make sure I was as good as possible to make the varsity team. I shoutcasted for them during my eighth-grade year and competed on the varsity team from my freshman year to senior year."
— Branski on how his esports journey took shape in Southeast Wisconsin

Branski's start serves as a reminder to maintain valuable connections and, if interested in joining a specific team, stay motivated and continue enhancing your skills. At Walden III, Branski played under head coach Jon Fuhrer, who always strived to support his esports players regardless of the video game title. Additionally, Walden III competes in seasonal Rocket League competition under the Wisconsin High School Esports Association (WIHSEA).

The WIHSEA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to govern, support and promote the growth of scholastic esports through community development, advocacy, equitable participation and interscholastic competition to enrich the educational experience.

During Branski's tenure at Walden III and in WIHSEA competition, he achieved numerous accolades, including an All-Conference MVP award, two state championships, a top-10 regional finish during his senior year via PlayVS with Case/Walden III, a local two-on-two Milwaukee LAN victory with former Wisconsin Connections Academy player AuryArts, a separate one-on-one tournament win and a victory in the first three-on-three Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association (WSTA) Esports Fiber Frenzy tournament in 2023.

Branski's first WIHSEA state championship came in spring 2022 as a freshman alongside teammates David Klug and Grant Navarro, who served as captain. By the end of an eight-week regular season, Branski finished with 85 goals, 27 assists and 18 saves. For perspective, he had 51 more goals than his nearest teammate, Navarro. Branski quickly became known for his tenacious scoring ability and aerial mechanics that amazed the average viewer.

With a 7-0 overall record and a 21-0 game record within Division III's Gizmo Conference, Branski's freshman-year team made the playoffs. Through late April, Walden III defeated teams such as Ripon and Two Rivers in the first round and quarterfinals. On May 14, 2022, Branski made his first state LAN appearance. Walden III defeated Marshall in the Division III semifinals and faced Edgewood in the grand final. Edgewood went 6-1 in the same conference as Walden III. However, Branski and Co. set the tone early, sweeping Edgewood 4-0 to claim the spring 2022 Division III title at Northcentral Technical College.

Branski's second WIHSEA state championship came in winter 2025 as a senior alongside teammates Anthony G. (Wubbubz) and Jayden G. (Jxy), who helped unify J.I. Case and Walden III due to an insufficient number of players to field two separate teams for the Racine Unified School District (RUSD) institutions. Between Dec. 17, 2024, and Feb. 11, 2025, Case/Walden III posted a 14-0 overall record and a 39-1 game record in regular-season play.

With these statistics, Case/Walden III clinched the No. 1 seed in Division I's playoff bracket. Much like spring 2022, Branski became in sync with his teammates and dominated another playoff bracket. Case/Walden III defeated William Horlick and Hartford Union in the first two rounds. Then, on March 1, 2025, Case/Walden III defeated Chippewa Falls in the semifinal before sweeping Waukesha West, 3-0, to claim the winter 2025 Division I title at Madison Area Technical College.

While competing in WIHSEA competition, Branski also considered the colleges that piqued his interest as he approached the completion of high school.

"Carthage College was always on my radar. It was between Carthage College, UW-Parkside and UW-Madison for me. UW-Parkside was the budget option and backup plan. The choice between Carthage College and UW-Madison was very difficult because I was accepted to both schools. However, the cost for UW-Madison would have been $10,000 more per year."

"Although the education is nationally ranked, internship opportunities are harder to come by due to more competition at the school. Carthage offers the S.U.R.E. program, which provides a paid summer undergraduate research experience with a professor, and I hope to be part of it this upcoming year. In addition, I will be a lab assistant this upcoming year, which will help my resume and job search after college. All things considered, I may not have gotten these opportunities anywhere else besides Carthage."
— Branski on his difficult but eventually rewarding college search

Since coming to Carthage for the 2025-26 school year, Branski has made the Dean's List, an achievement that deserves recognition. In addition to his academic success, Branski achieved an incredible amount of success during his freshman year as a Rocket League Red player.

During the 2025-26 competitive year, Branski competed alongside a three-year starter at the time, Alex Valie (Vaile), and freshman Owen Perry (Kor). Head coach Timmy Connors, who came from Edgewood College, guided the trio to numerous accomplishments by keeping them level-headed. Branski's high-scoring output and mechanical ability carried over from WIHSEA competition to Carthage.

In his young Carthage Esports career, Branski is a six-time LAN champion — fall 2025: WSTA Fiber Frenzy III, Red Cedar Rumble and WEC Regional & State LAN; spring 2026: Midwest Battleground LAN and MCRL Division I. He was also one-third of the only team in Carthage Esports history to receive a NECC Division I promotion and win a regular-season match under that moniker — March 18, 2026, vs. Cleveland State University Green.

In the NECC, Branski has accumulated 90 goals, 60 assists, 135 saves, 301 shots and 99 demolitions, along with a 30% shooting percentage across fall 2025 and spring 2026. Branski led the team in goals scored throughout both semesters of his freshman year. In the WEC, Branski recorded 24 goals, 23 assists, 27 saves and 93 shots, along with a 26% shooting percentage during fall 2025's regular-season campaign.

"The esports program at Carthage really is special. The bond between players is something no other program has. We have a whole facility for esports that is essentially a hangout spot for everyone to visit between classes and have some fun. Overall, I believe I chose Carthage because I believed I would have the most possibilities of internship experience, the esports program which offers scholarships, and the atmosphere which includes class sizes, student-professor relationships, and bonds with classmates and friends."
— Branski on the Carthage Esports program and why he chose Carthage as his college

Heading into his sophomore year, Kyle Branski is determined to build on his established esports legacy. This fall, he will remain on Carthage Rocket League Red alongside Perry. However, they will need to find a third player to take Vaile's place, as he graduated from Carthage College last May. Branski is a prime example of someone who balances career success alongside his longtime passion for video games.

Carthage Esports is currently in the offseason and will resume regularly scheduled livestreams in late September and early October to kick off the fall 2026 season and the 2026-27 competitive year. We extend our gratitude to those who consistently support the Carthage Esports program.

Follow @carthageesports on all social media platforms to stay updated on content involving the upcoming fall 2026 and spring 2027 seasons. Follow our Twitch channel to be informed when broadcasts go live. Lastly, be on the lookout for recaps on the Carthage Athletics Esports page once the fall 2026 season begins.