SAN RAMON — Dougherty Valley star Jalen Stokes has been waiting for this game since the start of the school year.
“I kind of tried not to think about it too much before the start of the season,” Stokes said. “But I’ve definitely had it circled on my calendar.”
On Friday, Dougherty Valley will travel to Dublin for its annual rivalry game. The two schools, located just five miles apart, have a storied history as basketball rivals. This season, both programs are playing at an elite level as Dublin (21-4) and Dougherty Valley (19-6) are considered two of the Bay Area’s top teams.
But Friday’s game will be dominated by one storyline.
Stokes was a star for Dublin for three years, but transferred to Dougherty Valley for his senior season – a decision that raised eyebrows around the basketball community. Dougherty Valley coach Mike Hansen told the Bay Area News Group in August that Stokes’ family moved to the San Ramon area.
His transfer was initially denied by the North Coast Section, prompting Hansen to express frustration with Stokes’ previous school. But after winning his appeal in December, the 6-foot-5 forward has been on a tear for the last month.
While he doesn’t exactly know what his reception will be like when he enters Dublin’s gymnasium, Stokes views Friday’s game as a full-circle moment.
“It’s definitely going to be sentimental,” he said. “I had my senior night at Dougherty Valley the other night, but it will be senior night for Dublin on Friday, too. So it’ll kind of be my last home game for me over there.
“I’ve spent so many years, dedicated so many hours to that program. So, it’s definitely sentimental for me.”
Stokes was a decorated player at Dublin for three seasons. As a junior, he averaged 19.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and led the Gaels to an NCS Division I title game berth where Dublin eventually fell to Dougherty Valley.
That same year, he earned all-league and all-Bay Area News Group first-team honors.
Following his transfer, Dougherty Valley was immediately catapulted into the upper echelon of teams in the Bay Area before the start of the season.
“He’s a prolific scorer and a guy who is going to get a lot of touches for us,” Hansen told the Bay Area News Group in August. “He’s that missing piece to the team we have coming back.”
But Dougherty Valley’s start to the season was uneasy after Stokes was denied eligibility, forcing him to sit out the team’s first 12 games.
Even with the outside noise, the Wildcats still managed to go a respectable 8-4 in that span.
“The biggest characteristic of this team is that they’re tough,” Hansen said to the Bay Area News Group on Wednesday. “We played without Jalen and now we get to play with him. We played great teams without him and we’re in every game.
“They’re a tough group. Sometimes they’re tough to coach, but they’re mentally tough kids and they got an edge to them. They’re battle tested.”
Stokes eventually won his appeal and has torched league opponents ever since.
He dropped 47 points in a close loss to San Ramon Valley. He scored 32 points to snag a key win over De La Salle. And against cross-town rival California, he exploded for 24 points while grabbing 11 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Dublin has surprised many without Stokes.
The Gaels started the season with 12 consecutive wins and are on pace to have a better season than they did in 2023-2024. Led by an uber-athletic group of guards such as Miles Pollard, Anthony Knight and Jaiden Jones, the Gaels are currently ranked eighth in the latest Bay Area News Group rankings.
Going into Friday’s game, Stokes is still unsure whether his return will bring cheers or boos.
“You know, I don’t know what to expect,” Stokes said. “I got a lot of friends over there and they talk a lot of trash, but I really am clueless. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
But one thing is for sure when Stokes steps out into his old stomping grounds: There will be no kumbaya between old teammates.
“I think it’s kind of unspoken. We’re friends outside the court but when we step inside the lines, we’re enemies,” Stokes said.
