KENOSHA, Wis. — Mason Stenger (zXc), a senior studying computer science from Maple Grove, Minnesota, is the captain of Carthage Overwatch Red and serves as a Damage (DPS) player. Stenger's main objective is to pick apart enemy team compositions across the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) and Wisconsin Esports Conference (WEC).

Overwatch (OW) is a free-to-play 5v5 team-based shooter in which players select a unique hero with special abilities and roles (Tank, DPS, or Support) to achieve objectives across game modes such as Control, Escort, Flashpoint, Hybrid, and Push. The gameplay emphasizes team cooperation and strategic planning to succeed in a team-oriented combat environment.

In OW, Tanks lead the frontline, Supports stabilize the team, and DPS players are advised to pressure opponents by controlling flank routes and targeting key enemies. Often called "fearsome but fragile," DPS players must be disciplined and focus on "squishy heroes" with fewer health points. This discipline allows them to attack from unexpected angles, disrupting the enemy backline. A crucial aspect of the DPS role is understanding that securing kills is more vital than dealing significant damage. Since DPS heroes have less health than Tanks, players should prioritize high-quality kills and strategic plays over raw damage numbers.

Stenger began his esports journey a little more than 10 years ago, when Overwatch, developed by Blizzard Entertainment, was released on May 24, 2016, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. At the time, he started on consoles, where ranked play was available, but he could not enter the higher competitive levels, including esports, semi-professional, and professional tournaments.

In 2018, Blizzard Entertainment launched the Overwatch League (OWL), a professional, city-based esports league. It used a traditional sports franchise model with global teams rather than open tournament circuits. Teams competed in regional divisions through regular matches and midseason tournaments, culminating in year-end playoffs. However, OWL faced logistical hurdles in shifting between local homestand events and online play during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as significant financial pressures.

"As a consistent player, I started watching the professional scene and quickly fell in love with the idea of playing on that stage one day. Fast-forward a year, and I started competing in smaller console tournaments. A year or two later, I finally got my first PC, which led me to join my first PC Overwatch team. In 2022, Overwatch 2 (OW2) was released, offering a whole new way to play the game, but it did not intimidate me. Within the first season of OW2's release, I had climbed multiple ranks and started competing in semi-pro tournaments. I have always had a love for the game, but mindlessly queuing the ranked ladder became unbearable for me. With this in mind, I made the push toward competing at a higher level. To this day, I still compete in the pro circuit during the offseason."
— Stenger on how his competitive Overwatch career evolved over the years

Since his competitive engagement with OW began in 2016, Stenger had three years of experience by the time he first enrolled at Osseo Senior High School in 2019. Although Osseo lacked a formal esports program, Stenger networked with fellow students and sought to participate in additional semi-professional tournaments as his high school years progressed. Ultimately, his long-term passion for competitive OW continued as Stenger graduated from Osseo in 2023. While searching for colleges, he found Carthage College, which had been developing its esports program for the better part of two years and was seeking to bring in talent for a handful of video game titles. Stenger felt that Carthage Esports fit what he desired and joined in August 2023.

Stenger's Carthage OW career began during the 2023-24 competitive year. He competed alongside then-senior Em Schwerdtfeger (Nancakez), then-junior Will Stevens (LunarSynergy), then-sophomore Odin Rivera (Shinbone), and then-freshman Joy Schultz (JumpyWizard) on the Red team. In the Fall 2023 NECC season, Carthage OW Red competed in the Challenger Division's Midwest B Stage and finished 6-0 overall with an 18-3 map record.

With these results, they earned the No. 2 seed in the playoffs behind Purdue Steel, which was the No. 1 seed due to a better map record. On Nov. 18, 2023, OW Red swept No. 7 Purdue Gold, 3-0, in the quarterfinals. Then, on Nov. 30, 2023, they swept Illinois State University Red and punched their ticket to the Midwest championship game on Dec. 7, 2023. Purdue Steel challenged Carthage, leading 3-1 early in the series. However, Stenger and his team demonstrated great resilience under pressure and rallied to win 4-3.

At the Spring 2024 NECC, this iteration of Carthage OW Red was promoted to the Champions Division but finished 3-5 overall and 6-16 on the map. Unfortunately, they missed the postseason. After Schwerdtfeger graduated from Carthage in May 2024, OW Red needed to find another Support player. To fill the need, OW Red brought in then-freshman Jenasia Johnson (DVA Online). A spot also opened at Tank when Stevens transferred to Carthage Black and served in a leadership role. Subsequently, then-freshman Deacon Kirvan (FerociousPig) joined as the new Tank.

In Fall 2024, OW Red participated in the NECC Division IV – West Central B Stage and finished the regular season 7-0 overall with a 21-4 map record. The team's success stemmed from flexible, unpredictable compositions, earning them the No. 2 seed. Their postseason began on Nov. 15, 2024, with a 3-0 sweep of Mizzou Club in the quarterfinals. They lost a rescheduled semifinal, 3-2, to Oklahoma Christian on Nov. 20, 2024, in a close match. OW Red then secured third place by beating No. 4 Tiffin University, 3-0, on Dec. 6. In Spring 2025, they placed third in the Division IV – West Central B Stage with a 4-3 overall record and a 15-11 map record, earning the No. 6 seed but losing 3-1 to No. 3 UBC on March 28, 2025.

Despite these hardships, the Spring 2025 WEC season gave the team another chance at gold during the 2024-25 competitive year. OW Red finished the regular season with a 5-3 overall record, went 2-2 in the Regional LAN and finished 2-0 in an LCQ. To qualify for the WEC State LAN, OW Red defeated its JV counterpart, OW Black, on April 21, 2025. Thus, Stenger and his teammates earned their way to another championship opportunity. On May 4, 2025, OW Red arrived at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) campus. In the semifinals, the team beat UW-Whitewater, 3-0, in a close, competitive series. Later, MSOE faced them in the championship game. Despite playing away, OW Red remained focused and secured a 4-1 victory, winning its first WEC State LAN.

After wrapping up their Spring 2025 WEC campaign, OW Red competed as the No. 5 seed in the 2025 NECC Nationals, having earned enough qualification points from podium finishes in both the regular season and postseason. Their journey began with a 3-0 victory over No. 4 Missouri University of Science and Technology [MST] Gold in the quarterfinals on April 26, 2025. In an upset during the semifinals, OW Red defeated No. 1 Anna Maria College on May 2, 2025. This surge in momentum contributed to their WEC State victory that same week. However, Grand Canyon University ended OW Red's run in the Division IV NECC Nationals championship on May 9, 2025. A heartbreaking 4-2 loss followed, but it gave Stenger a perspective on what the team needed to improve to reach new heights.

Heading into the 2025-26 competitive year, the team saw two major changes. First, Rivera graduated from Carthage in May 2025, meaning one DPS spot needed to be filled. Second, Johnson left the team after the 2024-25 competitive year, creating an opening at Support. To assume DPS duties, Stenger and his teammates appointed then-sophomore Billy Flanagan (ChickenFries), an OW Black starter who provided an energy boost, and then-sophomore Adam Hollis (Hollister09), who knew the team before joining, which helped him feel comfortable in the lineup.

Overall, Carthage OW Red's 2025-26 campaign ranks among the best in program history. In Fall 2025, they finished with a perfect 6-0 overall and 18-0 map record in Division IV – Central A matches, earning the No. 1 seed for the entire playoffs. OW Red beat No. 8 Stevenson University, 3-0, in the quarterfinals on Nov. 13, 2025. Then, a semifinal match against No. 5 Saginaw Valley State University ended in a 3-1 victory for OW Red on Nov. 21, 2025. As a result, OW Red faced No. 2 Middle Tennessee State University [MTSU] in the Division IV NECC Central championship. OW Red secured a 4-1 victory driven by their confidence to persist, even after MTSU shifted the series to 2-1 by countering Carthage's plan on New Queen Street (Push). In Maps Four and Five, Stenger and his teammates effectively restricted MTSU's offensive points on Watchpoint (Escort) and Lijiang Tower (Control) by winning numerous team fights.

Spring 2026 NECC saw a 7-0 overall and 21-0 map record in Division III – Central A's regular season. For the second consecutive semester, OW Red clinched a No. 1 seed for the playoffs. In the quarterfinals, Oklahoma City University was swept 3-0 on March 27. Next, OW Red beat Northern Illinois University, 3-1, on April 10. Once again, Stenger led his team to another NECC championship appearance, this time for Division III Central. Although they went up a division, it did not deter Carthage. A 4-0 victory came on April 17 after a grueling series against the No. 3 Wright State Raiders. Across Ilios (Control), Eichenwalde (Hybrid), Watchpoint (Escort), and Colosseo (Push), this series showcased Stenger's team's core strength: endurance, proving why they were the best.

In Spring 2026 WEC action, OW Red finished 6-1 overall with a 17-5 map record, claiming second out of 21 teams and qualifying for the Regional LAN at Carthage Esports Arena on April 18-19. They ended the round-robin 3-1 overall and 6-3 on maps, earning a first-round bye as a top-two team. OW Red beat UW-Milwaukee Varsity Black, 3-0, in the semifinals. On April 19, a 3-2 win over the MSOE Raiders helped the team claim a spot in the Spring 2026 WEC State LAN at the UW-Stout Esports Arena.

On May 1-2, OW Red went 2-1 overall with a 6-4 map record in the Championship Group Stage, losing only to UW-Stout Varsity Blue, which placed them as the No. 3 seed in the Finals Bracket. After a first-round bye, OW Red played UW-Whitewater Varsity Purple on May 3 and won 3-2. The Spring 2026 WEC State championship was decided in a seven-game series between Carthage OW Red and UW-Stout Varsity Blue. The Blue Devils led 3-0 before OW Red tied the series 3-3. UW-Stout's strong team on Suravasa (Flashpoint) helped them win in a crucial moment.

As the Spring 2026 WEC campaign came to a close, OW Red secured an automatic bid to the 2026 Division III NECC Nationals thanks to their two conference titles (Fall 2025 and Spring 2026) and clinched the No. 1 seed. In the Round of 16, they defeated No. 16 Missouri State University, 3-2, on April 24. Then, OW Red competed in the Elite Eight and Final Four on May 1, after which the team arrived early at the UW-Stout Esports Arena in preparation for the Spring 2026 WEC State LAN. Here, the team beat No. 9 Florida Polytechnic, 3-1, and No. 4 St. Ambrose University, 3-1. Then, OW Red faced No. 3 Paradise Valley Community College on May 8. The moment arrived for Stenger and his team, who won a dramatic 4-3 series after a crucial team fight with seconds left, taking the meter-distance lead on Colosseo (Push).

"This Nationals proves the amount of work I put into the game Overwatch as a player. After competing for more than seven years, a national title, especially the first in program history, is a huge achievement that I did not expect when arriving at Carthage. I knew that our teams were good and consistently competed. However, when we came up short in the Division IV Nationals last year, I knew that if I could improve on my shortcomings as a player, I could help drive the push toward that first national championship. To win it while being in a higher division is an even better reward for the work not only I have put in, but the team as a whole."
— Stenger on what winning a national championship means to him at this stage of his competitive Overwatch career

In his career, Stenger is a three-time NECC conference champion (Fall 2023 vs. Purdue University Steel; Fall 2025 vs. MTSU Lightning; Spring 2026 vs. Wright State Raiders), a one-time WEC Regional and State LAN champion (Spring 2025: Regional: Carthage OW Black; State: MSOE Raiders), and one-fifth of the only Carthage Esports team to win an NECC national championship (May 8, 2026, vs. Paradise Valley Community College).

Throughout his career, Stenger has consistently captained OW Red with a positive attitude, demonstrating a desire to excel and establish the team's reputation as a formidable force across the NECC and WEC. As he approaches his senior year, his objective is to guide OW Red toward additional championships as they continue to refine their strategy by remaining adaptable and unpredictable.

Carthage Esports is currently in season with WEC competition and will resume regularly scheduled livestreams starting Tuesday, Sept. 29, to kick off the Fall 2026 NECC season and the 2026-27 competitive year.


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 notified when broadcasts go live. Lastly, be on the lookout for recaps on the Carthage Athletics – Esports page once the Fall 2026 season begins.