The sophomore guard takes the wheel for Livermore Falls.
By Kevin Mills
Staff Writer

LIVERMORE FALLS – Taryn Flagg had modest expectations for herself when she reached the varsity level last season.

Like any freshman, her intentions were to get her feet wet, chip in a little and learn what to expect in the future.

Little did Flagg know that the learning curve would be much shorter for her than for most rookies.

“I came up as a freshman thinking I was going to help the team out a little,” said Flagg. “I didn’t know I was going to contribute that much to it.”

Before Flagg knew it, she was Livermore Falls’ starting point guard, and the Andies’ hope for the future. She scored 18 points in her varsity debut and was thrust into the role of the Andies go-to player.

“There was talk about her,” said Livermore Falls coach Ken Jones. “She was obviously scoring down at the junior high level. I had gone down to see her a couple of times. I also knew she was playing a lot of AAU basketball and putting a lot of time into it. Obviously, when she came onto the court that summer, we looked at her. We didn’t have a lot of talent here, and certainly it was fitting for her to step right into that point guard position.”

It was a quick ascent for Flagg, who had gotten somewhat acclimated with high school sports during the field hockey season. Still, there was no proper introduction for being baptized in the MVC as a freshman point guard.

“It’s something you have to deal with,” said Flagg. “You just have to try your best.”

Flagg takes that same approach this year as a sophomore. Her role hasn’t changed. If anything, it has spawned more responsibilities and expectations.

“I came out as a sophomore, and I felt like I had a bigger responsibility on the team because I had contributed so much up to now,” said Flagg.

The difference this year is that Flagg isn’t sneaking up on people. The sophomore year tends to be one of the more difficult. Players are still learning but taking on larger roles than their freshmen year. For Flagg, that can be a significant burden to carry.

“It was tough to adjust to, but after the first couple of games, I got used to it,” she said. “You have slumps now and then, but you have to pick your head up and get out of it.”

After averaging about 14 points last year, she’s on par with that this year, but teams are more prepared for her.

“I just have to work twice as hard and give it my all all of the time and just really try my best out there,” said Flagg.

Jones understands what Flagg is going through. Over the last decade, Flagg is one of the best basketball talents to come out of the Livermore Falls program. Only Jones’ daughter, Kandace, came close to the kind of skill, poise and potential that Flagg displays.

“I compare her a lot to my daughter,” said Jones. “I hate to say that. I see things in Taryn that are stronger than when Kandace was on the court and vice versa. I think at this point right now Kandace was a better shooter and probably played a better defensive game.”

Kandace Jones fell shy of the 1,000-point mark by 130 points due to a knee injury that cut short her career. It is believed that no player in the Livermore Falls girls’ program has ever reached that milestone. Flagg could be within sight of the halfway mark by season’s end.

“I think she has to stay focused,” said Jones. “As long as she can keep her focus on the court, she’ll be one of the stronger players in the league.

“When the team’s not doing so well, they all tend to drop their heads a little bit, but you don’t see that a lot in her. It does effect her. So I try to keep her focused all the time because she is my leader on the floor.”

Flagg was named the team captain this year and understands that being the team’s go-to player also translates into leadership duties.

“I just accept it,” she said. “Yes, it’s hard at times, but it just makes it that much better if you’re going to be captain in future years.”

After winning just three games last year, the Andies are 3-9 and trying to earn a playoff spot in the final few weeks of the season. The Andies are a pretty young squad and were ranked 13th in the latest Heals but could sneak in with a couple point-worthy wins down the stretch.

“Obviously, she’s a great kid to have, and she’s real coachable,” said Jones. “She always giving you her best our there on the floor. She knows she’s our go-to person. We try to keep the ball in her hands in every set. With her out there, the other kids come to a different level as well.”

Copy the Story Link