It looked like a tall task Saturday for the Batesburg-Leesville football team.
The Panthers were returning to action after a 2-week layoff due to covid-19 exposure. They were also kicking off for a rare early morning game at Herlong Stadium against defending Class 2A champion and 6th ranked Saluda. 
The winner would keep its hopes alive for the 2nd playoff berth out of Region 3-2A behind champion Gray Collegiate. 
With such high stakes, Batesburg-Leesville showed nary a sign of rust in the 52-28 victory over the Tigers. 
In moving a 1/2 game ahead of Newberry for 2nd place in the region, Batesburg-Leesville (2-1, 2-1) forced 9 turnovers and running back Marvin Gantt rushed for 174 yards and 3 TDs.
The Panthers jumped out to a 26-0 lead during a 3-minute points barrage in the 1st quarter. It started with Amar-Dre Leaphart's 16-yard touchdown run with 7:51 left to put Batesburg-Leesville on the board.
The PAT failed, but the Panthers scored again with 6:20 left when Matthew Boozer recovered an errant snap to the punter and returned the football for the score. 
On the ensuing kickoff, Hunter Carlyle managed to field the football before the Tigers' returner to give Batesburg-Leesville the ball at the Saluda 36. Running back Marvin Gantt needed just 1 play to break free for the 1st of 3 touchdowns to make it 20-0 with 5:59 left.
Saluda's next possession ended with a fumble recovered by Joshua Monroe at the 17-yard line. The Tigers finished with 9 turnovers in the game, 6 in the 1st half.
On 4th down, Jackson Lawrence caught a 12-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 26-0.
The Tigers finally scored early in the 2nd quarter.  Aikamus Johnson blocked the punt attempt by Cade Bouknight in the endzone and made the recovery for the touchdown.
The PAT failed, making it 26-6. 
The Panthers' Gantt answered with touchdown runs of 14 and 48 yards to give Batesburg-Leesville its biggest lead at 40-6. 
With 26.1 seconds left, Saluda (2-2, 2-2) scored on a 55-yard touchdown pass to cut the Panthers' lead to 40-14 at halftime. 
Saluda opened the 2nd half with a nearly 8-minute, 17-play, 67-yard scoring drive. Tyleke Mathis scored to make the score 40-21.
With 59 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Korey Williams recovered a fumble at the Saluda 23. As the 4th quarter started, Gantt scored his 3rd touchdown of the game from 10 yards to put Batesburg-Leesville up 46-21.
An Austin Summers' TD brought Saluda to within 46-28 with 2:50 left in the game. An interception by Gantt set up a 55-yard touchdown run by Williams with 1:04 closed out the scoring and accounted for the most point scored by Batesburg-Leesville in the series.
The Panthers travel to Columbia next week, while Saluda faces Newberry. Should both Batesburg-Leesville and the Bulldogs win, it sets up a Nov. 6 matchup at Panther Stadium for the playoff berth.
It would also mark the return of Newberry head coach Phil Strickland to the school he led to Class 2A titles in 1995 and 1999.