Batesburg-Leesville’s football team is off to an excellent start. 

This week, the Panthers improved to 5-0, finishing their out-of-region season undefeated after stomping Mid-Carolina 48-0. It is the best start for the Panthers since 2015 when they started the season 7-0. 

“We got a good group of kids right now that have two years of experience,” Panthers’ head coach Greg Lawson said. “They played as younger kids. As ninth and 10th graders, and now, they're juniors and seniors and just gotten better every year, and they bought into this.” 

The Panthers have been dominant on both sides of the ball. The offense put up over 450 total yards, while the defense held Mid-Carolina to under 50 yards. This week’s win over the Rebels was the team’s third shutout of the season. Previously, Batesburg-Leesville defeated Wagener-Salley 50-0 and Calhoun County 60-0. 

With region games beginning next week, Lawson said his team needs to stay locked in and focus on what’s in front of them instead of what’s behind. 

“That's the hardest thing,” he said. “This is the first time they've had a little experience in success, so sometimes that's the hardest thing to do is keep them grounded. We're trying to do that each week.” 

The game against Mid-Carolina was moved up from Friday night to Wednesday due to the threat of Hurricane Helene. Despite the limited prep time, the Panthers had no issues in dealing with whatever the Rebels threw at them. 

Batesburg-Leesville would wear the mid-Carolina defense down with their rushing attack before catching them off guard with a deep ball. Watkins connected on four passes for at least 30 yards in the game. When asked about knowing when to make the call for a deep shot, Lawson said it comes to his experience and what the defense shows. 

“It just depends on what they do defensively and what they give us,” he said. “It's just a feeling. I've been doing it long enough that when you watch defenses and they start doing certain things, they're rolling their coverage and bringing the safety down on runs, you know you can take a shot.” 

It took a bit for the Panthers to get going on offense. The team went for it on fourth down in enemy territory on its first drive but failed to convert. The next drive went three and out. 

Batesburg-Leesville’s defense held strong on both of the ensuing Mid-Carolina drives, forcing its own turnover on towns, and then, holding the Rebels to a three and out. 

The Panthers broke through on their next drive with a historic pass from quarterback Tanner Watkins. He threw a dot to Jamerius Clark for a 36-yard touchdown and moved up to fifth all-time on the school’s passing yards list. 

“He's a big part of this program. He's been here three years. He is a three-year starter,” Lawson said. “Anytime you can get a three-year starter at quarterback, that's a plus. And he's done a good job of leading his team, not trying to make plays, but just manage them.” 

Watkins managed the team well and made big plays during the win. He finished with 200 yards and two touchdowns on eight passes and added 83 yards and a touchdown on the ground. 

Running back Amadre Wooden carried the majority of the offensive load, rushing 20 times for 125 yards and two touchdowns. His touchdowns came near the end of the second quarter and the start of the second half. He punched his first in from five yards out, then got his second from 13 yards to push the Panthers up 35-0. 

K.D. Whitt has an excellent game and made numerous explosive plays. He scored the game’s second touchdown on a five-yard run early in the second quarter. Whitt found the endzone for a second time right before the half after a 55-yard reception. He also had a long punt return that set the Panthers up on the mid-Carolina four-yard line. Jayden Davis capitalized on the field position on the next play, running in the touchdown. 

The Batesburg-Leesville defense had its way with the Rebels offense. The team was often hitting opposing running backs behind the line of scrimmage and made it hard for any passing game to get going. The Panthers got pressure when rushing just four and held the Mid-Carolina quarterbacks to two completions on 14 attempts.  

“We got a good group of defensive coaches doing a good job of watching film and learning exactly what the other team's doing and teaching it to our kids,” Lawson said. 

Next week is a big one for the Panthers. Not only is it the start of region season, but the team will be on the road facing last year’s champion Strom Thurmond. Batesburg-Leesville has lost the last two matchups by a combined score of 84-14. This contest will be important in setting the tone for how the Panthers fare in the region. 

“​​It's region time, and our kids know that the region time determines where you go in the playoffs,” Lawson said. “We're 5-0 in the non-region and now we're 0-0 in the region. So, we got to start over.”

Full area scoreboard 

Lexington: 29, Laurens: 0

White Knoll: 38, Fort Dorchester: 0

Airport  at South Aiken (Saturday 7:30 p.m.)

Midland-Valley: 42, Brookland-Cayce: 21

Gilbert  at Aiken (Postponed) 

Gray Collegiate  vs. North Augusta (Postponed)

Swansea vs. Columbia (Saturday 11:00 a.m.)

Pelion at Eau Claire (Saturday 10:30 a.m.)