Canutillo uses strong defense, timely run game to beat Amarillo Palo Duro
The Canutillo Eagles led from start to finish and defeated Amarillo Palo Duro, 28-0, Thursday night at Canutillo High School to earn a spot in next week's area round of the Class 5A Division II playoffs.
The Eagles (9-2) will play Arlington Heights or Frisco Independence, which play Friday night in next week's area round. Palo Duro, which was making its first playoff appearance since 2014, finishes 3-8.
Dominant defense
The Eagles forced two turnovers, both in the second half, and earned its fifth shutout of the season and second in a row. Canutillo defeated El Paso High 49-0 in the regular season finale. Damian Perez had a second half interception and Lorenzo Arreola stepped up big at cornerback to help lead the way.
Canutillo controls first half
The Eagles led 14-0 at half behind solid play in all phases of the game. LJ Martin scored on a 44-yard touchdown run and Arreola took a screen pass from Jeremiah Knox and scored from 14 yards out.
A botched Palo Duro punt led to the Arreola score after the Eagles took over at the Dons 21.
Palo Duro struggled for most of the first half on offense and had one first down until its final drive when it advanced to the Eagles 7-yard line. Keterize Dean-Oliver caught a 42-yard pass on the drive but the Eagles defense stiffened and stopped the Dons on downs.
Eagles control second half
Martin scored on a 45-yard touchdown run and Anthony Ayala added an eight-yard score for the final margin. Palo Duro had a handful of nice drives in the second half, but the turnovers forced by Canutillo stopped any momentum. Martin's two touchdown runs gives him 17 for the season.
What the winning coach said
"Our defense was great," Eagles coach Scott Brooks said. "They played well as a team. Palo Duro has great speed and good size up front. I thought our defensive line did a great job."
What the winning players said
"We were focused and ready," Perez said. "We came out and made some big plays early, took advantage of our opportunities on offense. It was really a team effort."
Added Arreola: "We have a strong mentality as a team and we came out ready to play. We prepared well for this game, we knew we had a tough challenge in front of us. Now we have to come back and be ready for the next round."
Up next
The Eagles continue in the playoffs next week and Palo Duro ends its regular season with three wins.
More: QB Knox steps up Canutillo quarterback Jeremiah Knox continues to improve as postseason awaits
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at 915-546-6167; fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @fchavezeptimes on Twitter
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Canutillo uses strong defense, timely run game to beat Palo Duro
