By Mike Kays

Phoenix Sports Editor



Vian running back Dylan Taylor might need a spoonful of mustard Friday night, but it’s not because he’s either a hotdog or consuming one.

It’s for what might ail him.

For years coaches have given mustard to their athletes with leg cramps. Cramps are sometimes caused by a deficiency in acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that stimulates your muscles to work. Mustard has acetic acid, which helps the body make more acetylcholine.

Just a spoonful of mustard helps the cramps go down, or away.

When your legs are capable of something like Taylor did last Friday, a 32-carry, 378-yard performance like he had in the 31-13 playoff victory over Beggs, hey, for good measure, mix in some relish. The pickle juice from the relish has also been known to have similar benefits.

“I won’t forget it,” he said following last week’s win which sends the Wolverines (10-2) to Kingfisher (10-2) for a Class 2A quarterfinal contest on Friday. “My legs felt pretty good until the second half.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound junior had all but 65 of Vian’s 443 total offensive yards. After only one quarter of play last week, Taylor was closing in on 200 yards

He had 180 at the end of one quarter, scoring on runs of 24, 12 and 70 yards, and 313 at the end of three quarters when leg cramps began to bother him.

“If you remember, he also had a long run called back on a holding penalty,” Vian coach Brandon Tyler said. “He had a monster game but give him that and we’re talking well over 400 yards.”

Taylor has seen his running backs have monster accomplishments before. Vfastv Locust comes to mind. The running back who helped Vian to a semifinal appearance in 2005 and a championship game in 2006 had 3,894 yards over those two seasons, 2,657 of it his junior season when he set a state single-season touchdown record with 57 while averaging nearly 16 yards per carry

Taylor, who for the uninformed is no relation to one of Locust’s teammates, Oklahoma signee turned minor league baseball player Londell Taylor, averaged 12 yards a carry Friday and has 1,879 yards on 166 carries (an 11.32 average) in 12 games this season.

And Locust, although topping 300 on several occasions, never had 378.

“Both those guys are good running backs in their own right. Vfastv was more shifty and allows his blockers to set up in front of him then hits the lane. Dylan’s a little smaller but has better balance,” Tyler said.

“That was just a great night though. He had a great effort by the guys in front of him and once he got into the open field he goes floor and that’s that. He’s got some great wheels.”

Taylor even had a hand in the defensive effort with a fourth-quarter interception at the Vian 5 yard line that snuffed out a Beggs threat. And to cap the night off, back on offense, he broke loose on a 66-yard run that set up Chris Peoples’ 30-yard field goal with 1:10 to play.

Now comes Kingfisher, a team that finished second in District 2A-1 to No. 2-ranked Heritage Hall. What Taylor did at home, he’ll need to do on the road.

Kingfisher coach Jeff Myers saw Taylor on film unlike his counterpart Tyler’s view of the Yellowjackets, which not only included film but a stadium seat at last week’s 39-19 win over Washington.

“He’s quick with his feet, a good north-south guy who is hard to bring down because of his good balance,” he said.

Appropriately, Taylor ran south from Nebraska to play for Vian.

“My dad’s job caused us to move,” he said. “I played in Kearney, Neb., which is about three times bigger than Vian and you don’t play 95 degree kickoffs in September. It was a bit of an adjustment but it’s a great program. My freshman year in Nebraska we won state and my sophomore year we lost in the finals and I ran the ball then. I’m happy with the change.”

Kickoff Friday night is set for 7:30 p.m.