Usually at the halfway point of the football season, teams start to settle into their identities and you can truly tell who the contenders and the pretenders are.

This hasn't been the case in Newton County thus far.

The Alcovy Tigers had a chance to separate themselves from the pack Friday night against Newton High, but the Tigers fell just short of their bid for county supremacy, while the Rams reminded football fans that their season isn't over quite yet.

The pair played a game that the rivalry deserved; a hard-hitting chess match that pitted the Tigers' best against the Rams' best.

The Tigers' loss muddles things in Region 2-AAAAAA, especially with the Rockdale County Bulldogs losing to Lovejoy at home Friday night. Lovejoy now sit atop the region with a 3-0 mark, leaving the Wildcats and Newton as the only undefeated teams in region play.

Let's also not forget the team across the county, Eastside. The Eagles opened the season with a pair of wins before losing two straight, but bounced back last week with a solid win over Madison County.

In the process of beating the Red Raiders, the Eagles lost starting quarterback Demario Terrell, but freshman Austin Holloway stepped in and held onto the win for Eastside.

How Holloway handles the pressure of stepping into the starting spot will go a long way in determining how the rest of the Eagles' season plays out before Terrell's return. If practice is any indication, the freshman will thrive now that he has the opportunity.

The first half of the football season has left us with more questions than answers. It's a good thing we have a few more weeks of football before those questions have to be answered.