Some of you may be aware of the 1955 movie “Mr. Roberts” featuring leading actors Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell, and Jack Lemon. The movie’s WWII plot centered around Mr. Roberts’s (Henry Fonda) desire to leave the cargo ship he was serving on to join the “action” going on elsewhere. The ship’s captain (James Cagney) wasn’t willing to let Roberts move on.

Sixty-five years later, the South Williamsport community welcomed the arrival of their own Mr. Roberts in a reverse role of wanting to leave Brooklyn’s action to further his education and life in the quieter environs of rural Pennsylvania. For teenager Secoy Roberts it was a transition that didn’t take place overnight.

“When I was younger, I came to a camp called Fresh Air Fund and met Mr. Flick (Jamie) and his family,” Secoy explained. “They were my host family. I stayed with them for two weeks, and we just clicked. Since then, every summer, I would come back and forth to South Williamsport, and the Flicks would come to Brooklyn to meet my family.

“This year, being my senior year in high school, my mother (Tasia Roberts, an educator in Brooklyn) and I decided it would be best for me to move to South Williamsport. From the many visits I had here, I liked the area. There is nothing positive in Brooklyn right now. Everything is shut down. Everyone is doing school from home, and there are no activities going on.

“For the first few months, the transition was pretty hard. I missed my family and was used to going to school with my friends. It was difficult meeting new students here with the school being on virtual learning. I did know some of the players on the basketball team, and that was helpful. It was different, but over time everyone made me feel welcome, and it felt like home. What I like most about the community is how friendly everyone has been. It really feels good.”

Helping smooth the transition has been Jamie Flick, whose first association with Roberts began when he was assigned as the host parent for the Fresh Air Fund program a decade ago. Flick’s son A.J. was a three-sport athlete at South Williamsport and sports, particularly basketball, formed a common bond upon which the relationship grew. Over this past summer, Tasia asked Flick if he would consider guardianship for Secoy, to which he readily agreed.

Asked about the differences between playing basketball in Brooklyn and South Williamsport, Roberts was quick to respond.

“One of the major differences between basketball in Brooklyn and here at South Williamsport is that in Brooklyn, you are fighting to stand out a little bit more. You want to get your playing time; you want to be the person on the court that everybody notices, instead of it being a team sport like it is here. The coaching here is way different. Here, I feel like I am learning more, and the coach is actually willing to listen to what I see happening on the court.”

While the COVID crisis has robbed area hoop fans opportunities to see Secoy play, it is definitely a glowing example of actions speaking louder than words. As this is being written, the Mountaineers are 3-2 — having won three straight after opening the season with losses to undefeated Mt. Carmel and St. John Neumann. In those two games against quality opponents, Roberts scored 35 and 25 points. During the first five games, he leads all area high school scorers averaging 26.2 points per game.

“Since those first two games, the team is beginning to jell and feel like one unit,” Secoy observed. “The communication between the coaches and my teammates on offense and defense is just amazing. I feel we’ve come a long way since the start of the season. I definitely feel like we are moving forward as a team.

“Coach (Rob) Houseknecht has been talking to me about the history of basketball here. The team hasn’t had recent success in the playoffs, and that is a motivating factor. I want to help by coming to practice in a positive mode, keep pushing everybody, and my teammates are also pushing me. It would be fun to make districts and go further than the team has been able to do in past years.”

“Having Secoy join the team has been great for the entire program,” Houseknecht echoed. “He’s not only a tremendous player, but he has provided leadership qualities to the team. He has been a team player from the first time he joined the program. He always is coaching up others on the court during the game, or at practice, to help make the team better.”

The word that best describes Secoy Roberts, the basketball player, is determination.

“Definitely, when I am on the court, I play with a determination. I don’t like losing, so whether I have the ball in my hands or not, I just want to keep moving forward, keep pushing. Everything is a drive. I want to make my Mom proud, actually. Everything I do is aimed at making her happy. She enjoys seeing me play basketball, and I keep pushing myself to do it the best way I can.”

Roberts’s observations of the game even include those serving as officials.

“Here, the referees seem to be fairer than in Brooklyn. They let you play on instead of constantly making calls that stop the game. In Brooklyn, I think the refs don’t want you to play physically, perhaps for fear that it might lead to something further; here, I think the refs are more understanding, and the games seem to have a better flow to them.”

While Secoy Roberts has left Brooklyn for calmer days in South Williamsport, those who have had the chance to see him play are left with a respect and excitement for the determined passion he has for the game.