Week one is officially here and it is time to do a deep dive into the matchups that will kick off the 2025 football season for county-area teams.

All of these matchups are rematches from last year’s week one and all prove to be pivotal games that will offer up a lot of information about each team.

Alcovy Tigers @ Arabia Mountain Rams(Thursday)

The Tigers will take on the Rams in what will be the first game of the season on Thursday, August 14.

These two teams also kicked off the season last year and it was the Tigers that struck first on a pass from Ayden Goddard(now at running back/receiver) to Kaeden Booker.

From there, the Rams scored 34 unanswered points to down Alcovy at Sharp Stadium.

Arabia Mountain went on to score 61 points on the Tigers’ defense that day. Albeit a loss, the Tigers did manage to score 31 points — their highest point total of the season.

That win for Arabia Mountain went on to be its only one of the season as they lost the ensuing nine games.

Now in 2025, the Tigers will look to get revenge on the road with a new-look offense that is led by junior Trey Bryant.

As he was in the game a year ago, look for Booker to play a big part for Alcovy on offense, defense and even special teams.

The Rams’ top quarterback and running back from their win over Alcovy last year are gone, so Alcovy may be in position to start the season on a strong note ahead of the Newton Cup games.

Eastside Eagles vs Newton Rams(Friday)

Last year’s battle between the Eagles and the Rams proved to be a thriller as Eastside took down its rival for the first time since 2018.

Eagles such as Jayden Barr, Christian Gass and Marion Eubanks played pivotal roles in Eastside capturing the 2024 Newton Cup.

With those players now gone, the Eagles will look to make it two in a row as they still bring back players such as Payton Shaw, Myles Mims and Xavier Joseph.

On the Rams’ side, the team will look to get revenge with a new crop of skill players that include Kevin Hartsfield, Omarion Wallace and Derrick Miller.

The team’s top two leading rushers from last year(Eastside’s Barr and Newton’s Zion Johnson) are both gone, and I think the run game will be a large factor in this year’s matchup.

Will Hartsfield start his sophomore season with a statement performance over his rival? Will the Eagles, led by Mims and Tyler Solomon take down the Rams for the second time?

Regardless of which one it is, look for the run games from both sides to be a big part in the win.

And of course, you cannot forget the fact that  both teams bring in veteran quarterbacks with three to four years of experience.

Eastside’s Shaw and Newton’s Deron Benson are 1-1 against one another. With only one game left in the series for both guys, it will be fun to see which one gets the upper hand for the final time.

Social Circle Redskins vs Oglethorpe County Patriots(Friday)

Last year’s week one matchup between the Redskins and the Patriots was an absolute shootout.

Social Circle’s 48-41 win was the beginning of a season that saw them claim a region crown.

For the Patriots, the one-score loss was the start of a forgettable season that saw the team finish the year 0-10.

Nevertheless, that game was one of the Patriots' three closest matchups of the season, but both teams will enter this year’s game with new faces.

Last year, running back Jaylen Victor ran for three scores in the win. But now, the Redskins bring a new group of backs that feature a wide range of versatility and depth, according to head coach Rob Patton.

Quarterback Remi Farmer is set to take over for Luke Cross, who has his first career start at quarterback in this same matchup a year ago.

Many of the skill players for the Patriots graduated, so the team will most likely look to players such as Hunter Hall, Dalton Hilley, Keagan Moats and O’Maury Huggs to earn the team’s first win since Nov. 3, 2023.

Garrett Pitts is the sports editor at The Covington News. He can be reached at gpitts@covnews.com