AUGUSTA -- Jessica Lucas had a dream that Cony High School would one day have a varsity girls lacrosse team reach the playoffs. After four years of hard work and dedication to the sport, Lucas' dream came true.

In the Rams first season of varsity competition, Cony reached the Eastern A playoffs. Cony finished the regular season 7-5 and, although the Rams lost in the playoffs, Lucas was still able to savor the sweet smell of success.

When she was a freshman, Lucas put together a major effort to organize a club team at Cony. She was amazed at the number of girls who wanted to have a team and began laying the groundwork.

"I can remember passing around a clipboard hoping for 15 people to sign up," Lucas said. "I got between 50-60, it was pretty powerful."

The next year, Lucas coaxed Cony junior varsity field hockey coach Gretchen Livingston into becoming part of the program and the program was off and running.

"Coach Livingston was amazing," Lucas said. "She takes girls to clinics, she goes to clinics. She wants us to be well rounded and we really look up to her, without her none of this would have happened."

For her dedication, drive and desire, Lucas has been named the inaugural Morning Sentinel/Kennebec Journal Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year.

"Cony High School girls lacrosse exists because of Jessica Lucas," Livingston said. "Her vision, passion, and hard work allowed us to field a team that became very competitive and had a winning season as a varsity team her senior year."

While Lucas will be moving on to Simmons College in Boston in the fall, she is extremely proud of the tradition she is leaving behind. Her senior year, she scored 11 goals and had 18 assists but also refereed games in the Augusta Recreation Department's lacrosse league and continues to talk with younger players about their prospects on the high school team.

"I feel really blessed to have started the tradition," Lucas said. "I knew it wouldn't be easy. I am very proud of the team and the way we stuck with it."

Added Livingston: "Jess played passionately every day. She was our anchor on offense, gaining possession, and making things happen."

Cony's initial season started out with a bang, but several losses caused a brief setback for the players on the team who had high expectations. Once the team recovered and learned to focus on each game, the Rams started to play the kind of lacrosse they had worked so hard to develop.

Cony finished the season strong, but lost in the first round of the tournament, setting the stage for loftier goals next season.

"We did really well for our first season," Lucas said. "It was a good thing we lost because it caused us to readjust what we were doing. We learned a lot about ourselves and grew because of it."

Added Livingston: "It is unfortunate that Jess will not experience the full potential of this team. She knows she is leaving behind a solid program that she founded."