It almost seems cruel.

Like a cat playing with a mouse, Porters Chapel will seem to let an opposing team get close enough to the end zone to smell a touchdown. Then, they break their nose.

A half-dozen times this season, PCA has had an opponent get within 10 yards of the end zone. And every time, the Eagles have stopped them cold with a goal-line stand – usually in a way that drives the stake through their hearts.

It has become PCA’s signature on defense, a stamp on another dominating performance and the last whiff of hope for yet another beaten foe.

&#8220We don’t do it on purpose, I can tell you that,” PCA safety Michael Busby said with a laugh. &#8220I think when they get down around the goal line, we just say ‘this can’t happen here.’”

Several teams – Tensas, Sharkey-Issaquena, Tri-County, Benton and East Holmes – have moved the ball inside the PCA 10. None have punched it into the end zone, though. And only Tensas came away with any points, a short field goal that is still the only blemish on an otherwise perfect campaign by the Eagles’ defense.

The stands have come in a variety of ways. PCA pushed Tensas and SIA back. Tri-County ran out of time when its quarterback was tackled at the 1-yard line at the end of the half. Benton and East Holmes were simply stopped cold.

In a first-round playoff win over Benton, the Raiders returned a fumble to the PCA 5-yard line. After a 3-yard gain on first down, Benton failed to punch it in on three straight plays. The last two came after a pair of offsides penalties moved the ball inside the 1-yard line.

PCA led 24-0 at the time, and Benton never threatened again. PCA went on to win 39-0.

&#8220I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a defense suck it up like that and get that done. I thought it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen,” PCA coach Randy Wright said.

In last week’s 35-0, second-round victory over East Holmes, the Eagles had a little more room to work with. A strip set the Raiders up at the PCA 25-yard line, and a 13-yard pass from Craig Pee to Jamie Boyette moved the ball to the 12.

And that was it.

Pee threw an incompletion, was stopped after a short 2-yard gain, then threw another incompletion. A fake field goal on fourth down ended in a third incompletion, and the drive – and the game – was over.

PCA, which led 28-0 at the time, forced three turnovers and allowed only 44 yards of total offense in the second half.

&#8220They got a lot of pressure. They’re just quicker than our line. I didn’t have time to do anything,” said Pee, who threw three interceptions, was sacked once and hit for a loss or no gain on six of his 13 rushing attempts.

Indeed, speed has been a big part of PCA’s defense all season long. The Eagles don’t have a lot of size, but their fast defensive ends wreak havoc in the backfield before a quarterback has time to throw or a running back has time to set up his blocks.

And in the secondary, the speed has kept a lot of 20- and 30-yard gains from becoming 70- and 80-yard touchdowns.

It has had the effect of lengthening the field, giving the defense time to adjust, and creating more opportunities for their opponents to make mistakes.

And, with the way the Eagles defend their last patch of turf, just getting that far is often a mistake.

&#8220We’ve been able to keep people out of the end zone this year. We’ve been very fortunate. The defense has stiffened up when it has to,” Wright said. &#8220I think we play hard on every play. I don’t think anything changes. But they definitely bow their neck up when they have to.”