RUTLEDGE, Tenn. — The Cumberland Gap Panthers finished the regular season on a high note.

Blake Franklin passed to Whitt Willis for a 22-yard touchdown with 1:35 to play to give the Panthers the lead and Austin Oney’s late interception sealed a 26-24 win at Grainger Friday night.

Franklin, a freshman making his second start, drove the Panthers 75 yards in less than two minutes on the game-winning drive.

He finished 16-if-27 for 166 yards and two touchdowns passing and added 96 rushing yards two more touchdowns on the ground.

Grainger took an 8-0 lead in the first quarter as Tyler Bowser scored on a 4-yard pass from Taylor Coffman and Coffman passed to Chevy Helton for the conversion.

The Panthers answered back as Franklin hooked up with Willis for a 13-yard score to make it 8-6.

Franklin’s 31-yard touchdown run gave Cumberland Gap their first lead at 12-8 in the second quarter.

But Bowser’s 5-yard touchdown run and conversion gave the Grizzlies a 16-12 halftime lead.

Cumberland Gap went back on top in the third quarter as Franklin capped a drive with a one-yard plunge for a TD and passed to Oney for the conversion to make it 20-16 Panthers.

Grainger re-gained the lead in the fourth quarter as Hunter Hart scored on a two-yard run and Bowser added the conversion to make it 24-20.

After the teams traded possessions, the Panthers marched 75-yards to win the game in the final minutes.

Willis led Cumberland Gap receivers with seven catches for 78 yards and the two TDs. Joseph Jenkins caught six passes for 66 yards and ran 11 times for 60 more.

Cumberland Gap (5-5) was to find out where they’ll be playing next week in the first round of the playoffs when the pairings were announced at 8 a.m. this morning.

Grainger ends the season at 2-8.

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In other action Friday night it was Greeneville defeating Claiborne 45-0 to win the first Blue Ridge Conference championship. Both teams were ranked in the top ten coming and will also learn their playoff fate this morning.