Fans should never overreact -- good or bad -- to their team’s first game of the high school football season. There are just too many things that can change before the second game, and there are just too many variables in a season to think the first game will determine how a team will perform the whole year.

But there were some interesting story lines that came out of the first full week of games.

Terrific first games: Peach County and Perry played a close, hard-fought opener with the Trojans coming out on top. Both teams made their share of mistakes, but those are things they can correct, and both could be headed toward a strong season.

Wilcox County survived a thriller against Wilkinson County in a game that will make both teams better in GHSA Class A. FPD came up just short with a dramatic comeback attempt. Westfield held on for a 3-2 win over Tattnall Square in a defensive struggle. And after a 21-point third quarter to take the lead, Mount de Sales allowed 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter of a heartbreaking loss to Memorial Day.

Terrific teams: Peach County and Wilcox County worked harder than their fans would have liked in their openers, but they are going to be among the state’s top teams.

Baldwin should be right up there, as well, and the Braves travel to Peach County on Friday in a non-region showdown. Washington County won a thriller in its opener and then dominated last week and is on a roll early in the season. Warner Robins lost a large senior class from last year, but the Demons came out of the gate with an impressive win over Veterans. After opening with a win over Southwest, Dodge County backed that up in a big way with a rout of Dublin. Jones County, Houston County, Northeast and Westside also opened with impressive victories.

Don’t forget Northside: Calm down Eagles fans. I didn’t forget your team in that list of strong squads in our area.

Northside just looked so good in its opener that it deserves its own section. The Eagles were tied with Flowery Branch at halftime, but then they dominated the second half against the team that is ranked fourth in Class AAAAA. It was an impressive win on the road against another strong team, and that should bode well for the rest of Northside’s season.

So that’s the first full week, but it’s time to turn the page starting Friday. Just don’t overreact to a small sample. It’s a long, long season, and there are many more stories to come.

Contact Daniel Shirley at 744-4227 or dshirley@macon.com