EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the 12th in a 13-part series recapping the 2010 year in sports locally. The month-by-month review will conclude with the top stories of the year on Jan. 1, 2011.

The months of the year changed from November to December and with it came a change in sports — from football to basketball.

The local high schools started participating in hoops action, starting with the Spalding High Lady Jags basketball team.

Spalding High was starting the 2010-11 season with a young team, after losing six seniors to graduation from its state AAA Elite 8 team.

Unfortunately for the youthful Lady Jags, they entered the month of December with a loss to Region 4-AAA foe Stockbridge 42-21 the day before at home.

The Spalding Jags also entered the month with a loss, a 69-62 setback to Stockbridge.

The noteworthy local sporting events in December included:

n The Griffin Christian Crusaders defeated Young Americans 70-40 in the first game of the Lancer Tip-Off Tournament in Macon. Blake Yancey led GCHS with 17 points and 11 players scored in the blowout. (Dec. 3)

n The Griffin Christian Lady Crusaders lost a heartbreaker that same day, suffering a 45-43 setback on the game’s final play. (Dec. 3)

n The GCHS Crusaders won two more games in the Lancer tourney, winning the tournament by beating Central Fellowship 56-43. Elias Seise led the way with 14 points and Jonathan Hammond added 11. (Dec. 4)

n The Griffin High girls basketball team won its 3rd straight game, defeating Union Grove 65-53, thanks to 20 points from Jahmiya Clemons and 15 from Otisha Perkins. (Dec. 3)

n Griffin High’s basketball dropped its first game of the season that night to Union Grove, 60-56. Nile Daniel led the Bears with 18 points and Tae Mayes added 15. (Dec. 3)

n The Spalding boys basketball team won its first game of the year, 60-53, at Sandy Creek High to improve to 1-2. (Dec. 4)

n The GCHS Crusaders rallied from a 9-point, fourth-quarter deficit to defeat LaGrange Academy 58-55. Anthony Lewis led the team with 21 points. (Dec. 7)

n The GCHS Lady Crusaders finally beat Macon Area Christian, winning 39-29 and avenging two close losses to them this season. (Dec. 9)

n The Spalding High Lady Jags got their first win of the season, a 32-29 win over Drew High at home to improve to 1-3 overall. (Dec. 10)

n The GCHS Crusaders trounced Macon Area Christian 57-42 at home for their 7th straight win. A few days later, No. 1 state-ranked Mt. Vernon snapped their win streak with a 54-47 win over GCHS. (Dec. 9)

n Griffin High running back Wonta Washington was named the Griffin Daily News Player of the Year and head football coach Nelson Grist of Faith Christian Academy was named GDN Coach of the Year.

Washington rushed for 1,400 yards and 17 TDs for Griffin as they made the state playoffs while Grist led FCA to the ICSGA 8-man football league title game in just its third year of existence.

Other top GDN awards went to Anthony Lewis of Griffin Christian (Offensive Player of the Year); Xzavier Dickson of Griffin (Defensive Player of the Year); Eddie Glanton of Griffin (Special Teams Player of the Year); and Robert Jackson of Faith Christian (Best All Around). (Dec. 12)

n Chris Mayes had a double-double (19 points, 17 rebounds) in Spalding’s 60-49 win over Locust Grove. That same day, the Lady Jags beat LG 58-48 for their second win of the year. (Dec. 14)

n The Faith Christian Lions basketball team got 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals from Aamir Morris to defeat Holy Ground 58-32. (Dec. 16)

n Griffin’s Jahmiya Clemons scored a career-high 37 points in a 67-55 victory over Central Carroll in the opening game of the Carrollton Holiday Classic. (Dec. 17)

Other sports news in December included the Spalding swim team performing well at Clayton County, former Griffin Bear running back Bobby Rainey (now at Western Kentucky) finishing second in the nation in rushing yards and total yards and Griffin High's Xzavier Dickson named to the All-State football team.