Jaaron Dodson may not fill out the stat sheet like some of his teammates on a nightly basis, but his impact on the basketball floor for the Central Valley Christian team is just as important.
Dodson put that on display in the Cavaliers’ 60-50 postseason win over Justin Garza on Feb. 19 in the 2026 Central Section Division III semifinals.
With the playoff game tied at 37-all after three quarters, it was Dodson who shifted the game in favor of CVC.
Dodson knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Cavaliers a 40-37 lead with 7 minutes and 16 seconds left. He drained another triple later in the period as CVC stretched its advantage to five points, 45-40.
Then down the stretch, Dodson helped seal the playoff victory by sinking all six of his free throws.
Dodson, a junior guard, finished with a game-high 16 points, 12 in the final quarter, to pilot the Cavaliers to the 2026 Central Section Division III championship game. That point total was his second-highest this season.
“I’m so happy that Jaaron had this type of game,” CVC head coach Josh Bergman said. “He works so hard, and he’s asked to guard the other team’s best player. He’s our best on-ball defender, and he’s so selfless on this team. And that’s what makes us so good. Everyone knows their role, and they just take that role and they just do it to its purest and its finest. Jaaron’s a spot shooter, and he knocked down shots. He had clutch free throws tonight.”
Dodson highlighted a 23-13 fourth-quarter run that featured five triples. Jayden Bergman, Hyde and Carter Hiemstra also canned a shot each from downtown.
“That helps you breathe as a coach,” Bergman said. “They went on a run there.”
Dodson is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging just seven points per game, but it’s his ability to impact the game without the ball in his hands that has the Cavaliers on the brink of section glory.
Has Dodson been the team’s unsung hero all season?
“100%,” Bergman said. “He is our best on-ball defender, and he changes things with his ball pressure, and it’s a lot of stuff that is not in the stats. He’s a winner. That’s the only thing I can say is ‘He’s a winner.’ He knows how to win.”
How hard has Dodson worked for this moment?
“Every day,” Dodson said. “We’re always working hard every single day. It’s amazing. It’s been a great experience. Coach has always believed in me.”
CVC (27-4) has now won eight straight and will roll into the section final against Tulare Union (27-4) on Feb. 28, not having lost a game in more than a month.
In the New Year, the Tri-County Conference-Kings Canyon champion Cavaliers are 15-1. Their only loss during that stretch came to a 17-win Hoover team that reached the Central Section Division II semifinals.
How have the Cavaliers continued that success?
“It starts at practice, just trusting each other, getting each other the ball, and just making shots,” Dodson said. “I think that’s what has brought our team chemistry up.
“It’s amazing. It’s team basketball. That’s what CVC has all the time. We try to play team basketball.”
How unselfish are the Cavaliers?
“I think one of the most unselfish teams in the Valley,” Dodson said. “I think everybody loves each other. The team chemistry, inside and outside of basketball, is amazing.”
The all-Tulare County final is a rematch.
CVC and Tulare Union met on Dec. 12, with the Tribe winning 66-43.
In that game, Tulare Union led 34-16 at halftime and ran away with the victory behind Damaje Riley’s 15 points and Brayden Stevenson’s 13 points.
Stevenson, who became the school’s all-time career scoring leader after a playoff win over Fresno on Feb. 17, is averaging 18.3 points per game.
CVC and Tulare Union 2.0 will be played on Feb. 28 at Selland Arena in Fresno. Game time is 4 p.m.
“That’s pretty cool,” Bergman said. “Sometimes, I don’t think we get a lot of the recognition from all the Fresno schools and the TRAC, and further down, they have some great teams, but we have pretty good basketball right here in Tulare County, too. It’s going to be a heck of a game. They took it to us back in December. They beat us up pretty bad, but I think we’ll be ready for the fight at Selland.”
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: ‘He’s a winner’ — Unsung hero Jaaron Dodson leads CVC to title game
Reporting by Vongni Yang, Visalia Times-Delta / Visalia Times-Delta
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
