CHASSELL — Karl Rautiola’s career game proved just enough for the Chassell Panthers to squeeze out an overtime win over Dollar Bay-Tamarack City in the MHSAA Division 4 District 98 championship game Saturday afternoon.

Rautiola, a 6-foot-1 junior, poured in a career high 41 points to lead his team to a 56-54 decision.

Chassell coach Raphael Soumis said Rautiola was outstanding as the Panthers ended an eight-year district tourney drought.

“What more can you say about him,” Soumis said of his standout player. “He made all the plays when he had to he pulled us through. He’s a great player.”

But the Blue Bolts — winners of the last four districts — didn’t surrender easily.

They climbed back from a 13-point first half deficit to take the lead in the second half on two occasions.

“We had to survive a slow beginning,” DBHS coach Jake Stevens said. “But we came back and really had our chances to win the game.”

Rautiola, who passed the 1,000-point career mark in the contest at Helakoski Memorial Gym, scored all of his team’s second half points.

His final two free throws (he made eight in all) provided the margin of victory, although the plucky Blue Bolts had one final chance with 4.1 seconds left.

“I was sweating out the final few seconds because I missed a couple of free throws in the overtime,” Rautiola said. “I’m just happy we won, it feels really good to finally beat Dollar Bay.”

The Panthers learned after the game they would be playing Bessemer in a regional opener next week at Michigan Tech. The Speed Boys pulled off a stunning 51-48 win over Ewen-Trout Creek on Saturday — a team they had lost twice to convincingly during the season.

Soumis agreed the outcome was a shocker.

“I would have never thought Bessemer would win that game. It goes to show what can happen in the tournaments.”

The work of Connor LaClaire, Davin Hill and and Dan Datto kept Dollar Bay-TC alive in the second half.

LeClaire, whose 19 points was tops for his team, made several key plays. Hill put the Bolts ahead at 49-48 late in regulation.

Datto made a three-pointer to knot the game at 54-54 after a trey by Rautiola shot the Panthers into a 54-51 margin in OT.

Now 15-4 on the season, the Panthers had some nice first half support from Kolton Kytta with eight points.

Rautiola also grabbed 12 rebounds to lead his team in that department.

The Blue Bolts closed with a 16-4 mark and were led by LeClaire’s 19 markers. Datto put in 15, while Hill contributed 14 points, four steals and three assists.

LeClaire and Hill both surpassed 1,000 points in their careers.

Soumis said his team will now get ready for a Bessemer team that underachieved most of the year.

“I know we handled them when we met during the season,” he said. “But this is a different season.”

DB-TC 8 12 22 8 3 — 54

CHS 19 13 12 9 5 — 56

DOLLAR BAY (54): Myllyoja 6, Hill 14, LeClaire 19, Datto 15. FT: 9-10; Rebounds: 26 (LeClaire 9); Fouls: 17; Fouled out: None; 3-point FG: Datto 3, Hill 1, LeClaire 1.

CHASSELL (56): Kytta 8, K. Rautiola 41, Pietila 4, T. Rautiola 3. FT: 9-13; Rebounds: 29 (K. Rautiola 12); Fouls: 12; Fouled out: None; 3-point FG: K. Rautiola 3.