KENOSHA, Wis. — On Thursday, Sept. 17, Carthage Esports completed its Fall 2026 Wisconsin Esports Conference (WEC) Week One campaign. Rocket League (RL) Red and Black swept their opponents, while Marvel Rivals suffered a 3-1 series loss in its inaugural match.

WEC matches for both RL and Marvel Rivals are not livestreamed on Carthage Esports' Twitch channel. However, supporters are encouraged to visit the Esports Arena or watch matches on a player's personal Twitch channel to cheer them on when they compete. RL will compete in regular-season action every Monday from now until roughly Nov. 2. Marvel Rivals competes in the regular season every Wednesday until roughly Nov. 4. Both are slated for a 6 p.m. CST start time on their off-stream game day.
With that discussed, let's get into the Fall 2026 WEC Week One Recap.

Fall 2026 WEC Week One Recap — Carthage RL Red (1-0) vs. Ripon College Black (0-1)
Score: Carthage RL Red 3, Ripon College Black 0

On Monday, Sept. 14, Carthage RL Red completed an off-stream, best-of-five series against Ripon College Black. Along with an established backbone composition, RL Red added a new flavor to its offense: spice. Despite losing Alex Vaile, a four-year starter who graduated this past May, the team he left his mark on shined in Fall 2026 WEC Week One as it shut out Ripon 3-0.
RL Red's roster includes Owen Perry (Kor), sophomore Kyle Branski (xray), and Jimmy Prims (ItsSlurp17, aka ThePrimReaper). Branski and Perry were on this team throughout the 2025-26 competitive year alongside Vaile. They defeated the Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) Owls to capture the Fall 2025 WEC RL State Championship. Prims competed on RL White with Kaliek Wade (Akko) and TJ Buchmann (Blasecupid), who graduated this past May. He earned a top-three regional and top-five state finish alongside Buchmann and Wade.
Ripon's starting roster included Infinit-Hotshot, JustinOutBox and Snoptin.

In Game One, RL Red showed no remorse and won 7-0. Within the opening minute, Branski and Perry drove the ball toward Ripon's net. After a couple of attempts, Prims possessed the ball near Ripon's goal line and flipped it over to Branski. Branski then launched the ball dead center, past Infiniti, and scored as JustinOutBox and Snoptin could not recover quickly enough on defense (4:13). About 10 seconds later, Prims advanced a kickoff from RL Red's back wall past midfield, cut from the right side of Ripon's net and hit a contested pinch off JustinOutBox's car. With about 3:21 to play, RL Red found itself up 4-0 after a powerful presence from Branski and Perry's opportunistic shot placement following a double-tap center from Branski. Another stellar passing play from Branski to Perry developed at the 2:26 mark. Branski's initial shot on net was blocked by Ripon, but he passed the ball to his right, clanged it off Ripon's crossbar, and Perry came in to bounce it in for a score. Before Game One's timer expired, Branski and Perry each scored once more.

Game Two saw fewer goals overall. However, RL Red still shut out Ripon 3-0. At one point, Ripon battled to keep the score tied at zero, although it only lasted about 1:20. Perry scored because of Ripon's overcommitment on a left-wall/ceiling center by Branski. Essentially, Ripon's defensive efforts were scrambled as Snoptin attempted to clear the ball from his backboard while Infiniti flew under him. From there, Perry recognized the out-of-position defense, read an awkward bounce and carried the ball from Ripon's left wall to the net (3:40). RL Red's next scoring drive came from Prims, who made Infiniti clear a shot just after Snoptin rotated back for boost. Once again, RL Red took advantage of a mismatch as Branski soared through the air and hit a crisp double-tap on JustinOutBox (3:19). RL Red's final scoring possession occurred on a routine backboard exchange between Prims and Branski (2:51).

The series then ended with a 5-1 Game Three victory by RL Red. Once again, Ripon held RL Red scoreless, this time for closer to two full minutes. However, Perry broke the 0-0 stalemate after JustinOutBox and Snoptin both committed to attempting a clear on Branski's overhead center. Perry boosted upward and hit the ball between them to score (3:17). With about two minutes remaining, Prims attempted to score on a right-goal-line pass from Perry. However, Prims shot the ball too high, and Snoptin saved it. On the ensuing transition, Ripon possessed the ball offensively. Snoptin cleared the ball past all three RL Red players. As a result, Snoptin had enough space to drive the ball from midfield all the way to RL Red's net with little interference (1:49). Although Ripon found life on offense, RL Red never wavered and scored four unanswered goals, two each from Branski and Perry, within the final 1:40.

As a unit, RL Red accumulated 15 goals, 11 assists, four saves, 37 shots and four demolitions while shooting 40.5%. Additionally, the team collected more boost (45 big pads; 186 small pads) than Ripon (five big pads; 78 small pads). This meant that RL Red firmly controlled the boost economy and effectively minimized Ripon's scoring opportunities.

Fall 2026 WEC Season Player Stats Through Week One — Carthage RL Red

• Kyle Branski (xray): Seven goals, six assists, one save, 11 shots, four demos, 64% shooting
• Owen Perry (Kor): Seven goals, three assists, one save, 15 shots, no demos, 47% shooting
• Jimmy Prims (Slurp): One goal, two assists, two saves, 11 shots, no demos, 9% shooting

Carthage RL Red (1-0) will compete in a WEC Week Two off-stream match against the University of Wisconsin (UW) Eau Claire (1-0) tonight at 6 p.m. CST. Those who wish to support and watch RL Red can either visit the Esports Arena or tune into a Twitch channel belonging to one of the players.

Fall 2026 WEC Week One Recap — Carthage RL Black (1-0) vs. Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) Stormers Blue (0-1)
Score: Carthage RL Black 3, MATC Stormers Blue 0

On Thursday, Sept. 17, Carthage RL Black completed a rescheduled, off-stream, best-of-five series against MATC Stormers Blue. Despite the rescheduling, RL Black handled business, maintained full series control and produced a successful 3-0 sweep.

RL Black's current roster includes senior captain Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr), senior Lucas Menzer (Joystik), junior Kaliek Wade (Akko) and freshman Ben Lagerhausen (Cosmic). However, due to personal reasons, Gilchrist could not attend. This meant Lagerhausen competed in his first-ever WEC RL match. MATC Stormers Blue had Alan, Jermdadog and Vell on its gameday roster.
Game One ended in a 14-0 victory for RL Black, headlined by Lagerhausen and Menzer scoring five goals each. Menzer recorded the most assists with four, while Lagerhausen recorded three of his own. Wade scored four times on perfect shooting and added 23 demolitions, accounting for 82% of RL Black's 28 total demos in Game One. Overall, Lagerhausen, Menzer and Wade combined for 20 shots on net and limited MATC Stormers Blue to a single shot on net.

In Game Two, RL Black secured a 6-3 victory. This time, MATC Stormers Blue established a better rhythm on offense. However, it came after Lagerhausen, Menzer and Wade built a 4-0 cushion. Lagerhausen scored the first two goals into MATC's net, followed by Menzer and then Wade. At about the midway point, Jermdadog and Vell scored back-to-back goals. Although MATC cut its deficit to two, RL Black increased its lead with a pair of goals — one from Lagerhausen and one from Menzer — in the latter stages. Before Game Two officially ended, Vell found his second goal. Once again, RL Black outshot MATC Stormers Blue, this time 12-7 compared to 20-1 in Game One.

The series concluded with a 4-2 RL Black win in Game Three. Although MATC Stormers Blue fell victim to a sweep, it narrowed the shot-on-net disparity to only 7-5 in favor of Carthage. However, Lagerhausen, Menzer and Wade found quality in their seven shots. Game Three opened with Wade and Lagerhausen finding the net. Then, Vell scored to keep MATC within one score. Upon narrowing the margin, the Stormers sought to halt RL Black's scoring frequency. Subsequently, Lagerhausen and Menzer scored back-to-back to cement a 4-1 lead. As a result, MATC had one minute to come back, but only Alan found the net once.

As a unit, Carthage RL Black recorded 24 goals, 16 assists, five saves, 39 shots and 61 demos while shooting 61.5%. Additionally, Wade achieved 50 demos in a single series, an eye-popping statistic that illustrates his physical impact as an RL player. Not only is he a scoring threat, but he is also a major disruptor when it comes to catching the opposing team off guard.

Fall 2026 WEC Season Player Stats Through Week One — Carthage RL Black

• Ben Lagerhausen (Cosmic): 10 goals, four assists, no saves, 18 shots, six demos, 56% shooting
• Lucas Menzer (Joystik): Eight goals, eight assists, four saves, 12 shots, five demos, 67% shooting
• Kaliek Wade (Akko): Six goals, four assists, one save, nine shots, 50 demos, 67% shooting

Carthage RL Black (1-0) will compete in a WEC Week Two off-stream match against the University of Wisconsin (UW) Whitewater JV Purple (1-0) tonight at 6 p.m. CST. Those who wish to support and watch RL Black can either visit the Esports Arena or tune into a Twitch channel belonging to one of the players.

Fall 2026 WEC Week One Recap — Carthage Marvel Rivals (0-1) vs. University of Wisconsin (UW) Green Bay Phoenix Green
Score: UW-Green Bay Phoenix Green 3, Carthage 1

On Wednesday, Sept. 16, Carthage Marvel Rivals made its inaugural competition debut. The team completed an off-stream, best-of-five series against UW-Green Bay Phoenix Green. At one point, both teams forced a 1-1 series score. However, the Phoenix narrowly pulled out a 3-1 victory.

The Marvel Rivals roster for WEC Week One included junior Adam Hollis (Hollister09) and sophomore Hayden Echevarria (Hazzick), alongside freshman additions Jacob Cooper (Void), Jonathan Jasek (JJPower), Matthew Santiago (Lumen), Michael Santiago (Vader) and Anna Westbrook (BambeeBirdie).

Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play, third-person, 6v6 team-oriented hero shooter developed by NetEase Games and Marvel Games. Players select renowned Marvel heroes and villains to engage in fast-paced, dynamic matches. In the WEC, teams compete in three game modes: Convoy, Convergence and Domination.

Convoy is 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 moving forward before time expires. Convergence is a hybrid mode that mixes elements of Domination and Convoy. Teams initially fight to seize a control point, which then unlocks a payload cart that the attackers must escort through the map.

Finally, Domination is a classic 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, and this process repeats throughout a best-of-three format.

For Game One, Carthage and UW-Green Bay competed in Domination on the Hell's Heaven map. Hell's Heaven features three distinct sections — the Super-Soldier Lab, Frozen Airfield and The Monument — each with dynamic, moving geometry such as shifting pillars and pop-up walls that alter sightlines in real time. This layout forces players to constantly adapt to extreme verticality, moving from wide-open engagements on the icy airfield to tight, cover-heavy choke points inside the Hydra base.

The result was a 2-0 victory for UW-Green Bay. Looking at the statistics, the Phoenix recorded 124 kills, 18 deaths and 87 assists as a team. In contrast, the Firebirds had 55 kills, 39 deaths and 32 assists. Additionally, UW-Green Bay had less damage dealt (67,488) than Carthage (75,180). This meant that UW-Green Bay had higher kill efficiency. The Firebirds' top performer was Michael Santiago, who went 14-5-4 and accumulated 19,602 damage.

Next, Carthage rebounded in Game Two, a Convergence match on the Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya map. It is a multi-layered, cyberpunk-themed map that transitions from tight, cover-heavy corridors into wide-open neon streets and extreme vertical heights. The capture zone features high, destructible storefronts that create sneaky flank routes, followed by an escort street dominated by a massive central overlook building. Lastly, there is a final push section surrounded by towering, multi-level rooftops. Shin-Shibuya forces players to adapt between close-quarters and low-ground brawls.

The Firebirds earned a 2-1 win after a much better performance. Statistically, Carthage finished with 135 kills, 16 deaths and 86 assists. In comparison, the Phoenix recorded 57 kills, 43 deaths and 40 assists. Furthermore, the Firebirds put up higher damage (88,794 to 73,065) and healing (57,583 to 42,553). As a whole, Carthage looked more well-rounded, established momentum and held on to tie the series 1-1. Carthage's top performer was Jacob Cooper, who finished 24-2-35 with 9,821 damage and 32,447 healing as a Support.

In Game Three, both teams pushed each other to the limit. Ultimately, UW-Green Bay secured a 3-2 victory on Yggsbard: Yggdrasill Path. This is an asymmetrical Convoy map where players escort a chariot beneath the radiant, towering roots of the World Tree. The layout flows from a wide-open initial courtyard into a vertical mid-map choke point lined with elevated balconies, ending in a tight, curved final stretch. Its defining feature is a unique environment-repairing mechanic where shattered golden Asgardian structures automatically rebuild after a brief period, constantly shifting line-of-sight cover mid-match.

The major statistical difference between the Firebirds and Phoenix in Game Three was healing. In total, UW-Green Bay accumulated 91,534, nearly 23,000 more than Carthage (68,849). With team-based hero shooters such as Marvel Rivals, healing is one of the most important factors because Supports help keep their team alive. This meant the Phoenix were forced to heal constantly while in battle. To synthesize other metrics, Carthage went 144-51-78 as a team, while UW-Green Bay went 194-43-132 (kills-deaths-assists in that order). Ultimately, the Firebirds did have significantly more damage (146,199 to 112,887), but the healing disparity defined how UW-Green Bay secured a hard-fought Game Three win. Carthage's top performer was Matthew Santiago, who finished 29-8-0 with 42,152 damage dealt.

To end the series, UW-Green Bay secured a 2-0 win in Domination on the Birnin T'Challa map. Birnin T'Challa has a vertical, three-control-point layout — the Imperial Institute of Science, Warrior Falls and Stellar Spaceport — where capture zones sit on elevated, high-ground platforms. The layout forces combat across multi-layered platforms, underground tunnels and highly destructible terrain.
Statistically, the Phoenix established a significant kill advantage (86-44) across both Domination rounds. Consequently, the Firebirds suffered 31 total deaths as a team, while the Phoenix only died nine times. With a 2-1 series advantage heading into Game Four, UW-Green Bay did everything it could to prevent Carthage from forcing a Game Five. The Firebirds' top performer was Jacob Cooper, who finished with nine kills, four deaths and six assists alongside 10,154 damage and 23,186 healing.

Fall 2026 WEC Season Player Stats Through Week One — Carthage Marvel Rivals

• Anna Westbrook (BambeeBirdie): 45 kills, 14 deaths, 91 assists (9.71 KDA), 90,632 healing
• Jacob Cooper (Void): 54 kills, 21 deaths, 86 assists (6.67 KDA), 123,107 healing
• Michael Santiago (Vader): 77 kills, 23 deaths, 23 assists (4.26 KDA), 81,611 damage
• Adam Hollis (Hollister09): 54 kills, 17 deaths, 11 assists (3.82 KDA), 60,723 damage
• Matthew Santiago (Lumen): 69 kills, 20 deaths, one assist (3.50 KDA), 99,283 damage
• Hayden Echevarria (Hazzick): 70 kills, 34 deaths, seven assists (2.26 KDA), 64,419 damage
• Jonathan Jasek (JJPower): Nine kills, eight deaths, no assists (1.12 KDA), 9,808 damage

Carthage Marvel Rivals (0-1) will compete in a WEC Week Two off-stream match against a to-be-announced opponent on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 6 p.m. CST. Those who wish to support and watch Marvel Rivals can either visit the Esports Arena or tune into a Twitch channel belonging to one of the players.

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 the Carthage Esports Twitch channel to be informed when broadcasts go live. Lastly, be on the lookout for more recaps on the Carthage Athletics Esports page as the Fall 2026 NECC and WEC seasons continue.