Countdown to Kickoff: Canutillo eye another run to the playoffs with star running back LJ Martin

EL PASO, Texas -- High School football returns to Texas this week, which means every El Paso team now begins their run to try and nab a playoff spot and see how far they can push other Texas teams.

One team that is primed to do just that is Canutillo. The Eagles are coming off an 11-2 season which saw them make a run all the way to the regional semifinals and this year they expect to have the same type of dominance.

"We want to get back to where we were and win that third round game, it gets tough after the second round, everyone in Texas is good after the second round," Head Coach Scott Brooks said. "We feel like we have a group of kids that have a chance to do it."

The Eagles have 13 starters from last season returning including arguably the best player in all of the Borderland - running back LJ Martin.

"He's a leader he works hard, he's just one of those kids," Brooks said. "To me he's a once in a lifetime type of athlete for us."

Last season Martin rushed for 2,737 yards and 29 touchdowns while also bringing in 6 TD receptions and 376 receiving yards. Those numbers securing Martin multiple Division 1 and Power 5 offers, all of which led him to commit to Stanford.

"I already know my future so I'm just trying to focus on the team this year," Martin said. "Whatever they need me to do - rush for 3,000, 1,000, maybe 20, it doesn't matter for me as long as we're getting that win." 

Canutillo will look to make their run to the playoffs with a new quarterback in Jeremiah Knox.

"We threw in the summer last year and I feel like he has a great potential just to be something great," Martin said.

Martin and Knox along with the rest of the Eagles face off with Pebble Hills on Friday Aug. 26th for their first game of the season. ABC-7 will show the highlights the same night at 10.35 p.m. on the Borderland Blitz.