Amanda Smith is the new kid on the block. And she’s kind of taking the local basketball scene by storm.

 As long as she has a passion for winning and knows how to get the job done, Smith will fit in well with the Elco girls’ basketball team.

 The Raiders’ early season success has been one of the most compelling story lines in Lebanon County sports this winter, and Smith’s emergence as a scorer for Elco has been additional pleasant surprise.

 This week, Smith continued to score and the Raiders continued to win. Smith netted a total of 40 points, as Elco completed a 2-1 week to improve to 5-2 on the year and 3-1 in Section Four of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.

 On Monday, the sophomore guard tallied 18 points in the Raiders’ 49-33 triumph at Manheim Central. On Friday, Smith struck for 17 points, but the Raiders fell 39-32 at Lampeter-Strasburg.

 In addition to leading Elco in scoring with an average right around 13 points per outing, Smith is also one of the Raiders’ most dangerous foul shooters.

 – Jeff Falk