Dominant rushing attacks have defined the OAA Red title picture in recent seasons.

Luke Johnson, Wayne State’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award winner last season, rumbled for nearly 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns when Oxford was picked fourth in the league but won it in 2024.

In 2025, Clarkston relied on the Boman brothers, Lukas and Griffin, as its playmakers en route to running the table in the division.

History could repeat itself this fall, but at the very least, the majority of the OAA Red teams will have talented, experienced signal-callers to ensure a balanced offense keeps them in the hunt.

The most experienced of the lot is Clarkston’s Alex Waszczenko. He got his first start on the big stage when the Wolves faced Bryce Underwood and Belleville at Wayne State two years ago, then got a dozen more starts under his belt in 2025, going up against some of the state’s biggest heavyweights. He finished the season with over 2,000 total yards, over 20 combined TDs and just a couple interceptions as Clarkston captured not only the league title, but a district one, too.

Now, he’s looking to build on that as the unquestioned focal point of the offense for Clarkston, picked again to win the Red.

“I think I’ve developed and matured a lot, both mentally and physically,” Waszczenko said. “Obviously, being in this league, we play a great schedule every single year, and even the non-conference games, we play a great schedule, and I think that’s prepared me so much for the postseason. Now that it’s my third year (starting), I’ve got all the experience in the world, and I’m really excited for this group.”

He said that having the benefit of playing against teams of that caliber has helped get him to the point where he’s able to play freely and play mental games with the defense while controlling the tempo of the offense simultaneously.

Committed to Ferris State, Waszczenko and the Wolves will again open their fall in collegiate confines. This time it’ll be against South Lyon at the Big House. Maybe it’s the sizable crowds in his own hometown that have made him grown accustomed to it, but Waszczenko doesn’t seem to view those types of showcase games as any different than another Friday night. “I always look at it as the same old game,” he said. “You’re still playing football at the end of the day. Playing at Clarkston, you’re going to play in big games like that, so you just have to be prepared and ready for it regardless (of the stage).”

Lake Orion quarterback Anderson Adams (12) executes the offense in a 14-13 loss against Northville at Wayne State University on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (BRYAN EVERSON - MediaNews Group, file)

In addition to West Bloomfield’s Jaxson Carver, Lake Orion senior Anderson Adams is the other big arm back in the division.

Unlike the Wolves, 2025 wasn’t one to remember for the gang in green. The Dragons finished 1-8, representing the fewest wins in a season for the storied program going all the way back to 1980. Numerous injuries had them unraveling, and they went on to lose their three games to Northville, Rochester and Adams by a combined five points.

It might take a plague for Lake Orion to not improve upon that this coming season. Three senior offensive linemen (Braydon Blackston, Jack Sheffield and Drew McKay) will provide the blocking to protect Adams, who believes he’s grown from the experiences he gained as a first-year starter the previous fall.

“I feel like last year was definitely a good learning curve for me,” Adams said. “(It was) my first time on the big stage, getting all that experience, but I think now going into my senior year, having more knowledge, I’ll be able to have more of a leadership role for the rest of the team.”

He said he felt like he had mentally taken steps forward by the time the season reached its stretch run. “The game felt a lot easier, more of (me being able to) control what I’m able to control. I was definitely in a better head space, and yeah, later in the season was where everything started to slow down.”

The 6-foot-3 Adams is looking forward to the return of AJ Catenacci, a senior receiver who tore his ACL prior to the start of last year’s campaign. Additionally, running back James Bambard and tight end Owen Veeder are several of veteran Dragons head coach Chris Bell’s players to watch on offense, while Adams picked out seniors JuJu Vining and Brecken Powers among the weapons he’ll have at his disposal.

Lake Orion was picked to finish fifth in the Red Division, but Adams, who committed to Grand Valley State in July, made clear that he and this senior-heavy offense are eager to prove that 2025 was an aberration.

“I think the big thing this year is to go out and show everyone what Lake Orion football has always been about,” Adams said. “We have a standard, and we’re going to live up to that standard.”

Once again, Lake Orion, who’ll have seven new starters on defense, opens the season with Northville. The Dragons get into their division portion of the slate beginning with a trip to Oxford in Week 3.