­Jon Cole Chesser wasn’t even playing for himself last week.

The Pleasant Home junior running back rushed for 172 yards on 18 carries and scored four touchdowns to help lead the Eagles to a week 10, 45-12 victory over J.U. Blacksher, earning The Star-News Player of the Week honors.

Chesser was really playing for the seniors, who were playing in their last game ever.

“I wanted those seniors to feel that win one last time,” he said. “They’re the older guys. I’ve been playing with (senior offensive tackle Austin) Chesser since I was 4 years old. That’s the last game I will ever play with them, ever.

“It was special to go out and win like that,” he said.

Jon Cole scored from 4, 5 and 9 yards during the first half, and then added a 46-yarder in the third quarter. He didn’t play much at all after that.

Chesser’s 46-yard TD rush came as a result of a play his teammates Reid Adams and Carl Whitehurst ran back when they were in the peewee league.

“We had to play where Reid was a fullback, and Carl was at halfback,” he said. “It was a 38 quick pitch to the right side. It was the exact same play (Friday night), except Carl and Reid switched places for his last game. Carl was at fullback and Reid was at halfback.

“Carl got a good seal block and it opened up like it needed to,” he said.

Specifically speaking, Chesser said the team as a whole was aiming for a win.

“We were going to leave it all on the field that night,” he said. “The line, that was, our offensive line has alway been awesome.”

After the game, the Eagles celebrated as if they had won the Super Bowl.

“The night before, we bought eight bottles of sparkling grape juice, and brought them out there,” Chesser said. “We covered up the labels. Everybody thought it was champagne the first couple of minutes, but we were like it’s not, it’s just grape juice.”

Now that the season is over for PHS, Chesser is considered a senior on the team. He said he’s already looking forward to next year.

“With our senior class, we don’t have many who will play (next year),” he said. “We’re going to have to try to get some other guys out there this year, and hit the weights like crazy this summer.”

One thing that Chesser said he’d like to change going into next year is getting interest up for the younger players.

“The effort’s there,” he said. “Our (junior varsity) program hasn’t been exactly the best the last couple of years. I’m worried that they don’t care. I think the effort’s going to be there like it was this year. I think a lot of them will hit the weights hard.”

Even though winning the last game for the seniors was huge, the biggest highlight for Chesser happened with five minutes left in the game.

Blaine Short, one of the smallest players on the team, caught an interception.

“He was so happy and he was almost in tears,” Chesser said about Short. “It was a good end to a season that wasn’t what we wanted it to be. I was proud of the seniors.”

Chesser is the son of Travis Chesser and Jennifer Armstrong.