FLINT, MI – Attending Flint city games were like Christmas morning to a young Kelvin Torbert.

The gyms were jam-packed, with standing-room only crowds. Walls were sweaty and you could barely hear yourself think after big plays.

As a middle schooler, Torbert could only dream of seeing himself on the big stage against the likes of Central, Southwestern or Northern in a Northwestern jersey.

Torbert questioned his ability in the stands, but when he finally made his freshman varsity debut against Flint Powers, the rest was history.

It appears that history won't be built on any further.

Tonight will be the final home boys basketball game for the Wildcats. Northwestern will host Flint Academy West at 7 p.m.

Northwestern Athletic director Michael Thompson has already confirmed that “it won’t be any sports at Northwestern next year.”

However, a Flint Community Schools spokesperson said that there is still not an update available on a possible merger between the Northwestern and Southwestern athletic programs.

“While our primary focus throughout the district is on the remainder of the current school year to ensure we continue the positive momentum we have established, preparations for the next school year have begun," said Flint Schools Superintendent Bilal Tawwab. “At this time, nothing has been finalized with regard to academics or athletics. Once we have finalized plans for the 2017-18 school year, we will communicate accordingly to our parents and the community.”

Signs of a murky athletic future started to form when the girls basketball season was dismantled in January then the Northwestern and Southwestern combined wrestling teams for this season.

With Northwestern’s long line of athletic tradition, several notable alumni are alarmed by the news as they continue to search for answers from the school system as to why this is happening.

“I grew up watching my brother, Mo Pete, Anthony Mull and all those guys play there so it was just a matter of me waiting my time,” Torbert said. “I was just so excited my first game to be able to put on that uniform.

“I ended up with 28 my first game against Powers and it was all just off adrenaline.”

From 1997-2001, Torbert would go on to become the Sporting News Player of the Year, Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year, USA Today First-Team All-American, Parade Magazine All-American, McDonald’s All-American, and the USA Today Michigan Player of the Year before signing to Michigan State then playing overseas.

Without being in that Northwestern environment, Torbert isn’t sure if things would’ve panned out the same way.

“It made me,” Torbert said. “I went from an unknown to a national player of the year just from being there for four years. It’s a sad day to see it go away.”

Torbert is not alone in those feelings.

“I don’t understand why they would take away the athletics in a city like Flint, Michigan,” said Olympic champion Claressa Shields, a 2013 graduate. “Now, that I don’t understand. I don’t know who makes the decisions on those type of things but that’s definitely the wrong decision.

“That’s what keeps a lot of kids out of trouble and helps them find what they are passionate about.”

Former Wildcat Cory Hightower says he's also deeply disappointed in how the entire situation is being handled. Hightower was a basketball star as a sophomore in 1996 for Flint's all-time winningest coach Grover Kirkland, before taking off to Mt. Zion Christian Academy to team with Tracy McGrady.

“For Northwestern to have the proud tradition that we have, especially athletically, I don’t understand,” said Hightower, a 2000 NBA draftee. “To see our sports go is pretty tough. I know people are rolling over in their grave right now.”

Hightower currently coaches girls basketball at Otisville LakeVille Memorial High School and would like to see the community rally together to assist with school funding.

“If we just collectively put our minds together, something has to be done downtown to where we’re helping these kids to have something to do,” Hightower said. “It’s literally nothing to do and they make it so hard to get into these gyms.

“We’ve got to figure out how to do something in this community.”

Northwestern first opened in 1964.The girls basketball team has won three Class A state titles (1983, 1984, 1993), the boys hoops squad captured back-to-back championships in 1984 and 1985 and the track and field team finished runner-up in 1975.

The 1984-85 basketball teams emerged as a statewide dynasty, going 55-1 throughout a two-year span, then stretching that mark to 60 consecutive victories in 1986.

Seven players from those two teams went on to play NCAA Division I basketball, including Jeff Grayer (Iowa State), Glen Rice (Michigan) and Andre Rison (Michigan State).

“Just to be affiliated with any of the Flint Schools in general gave us all a sense of pride,” Grayer said. “But anytime you stood back and started having conversations about the different schools, we always felt like Northwestern was the one that stood tall and could really give you the most room to converse and talk about because of all the great things and people that have come from Northwestern.”

Grayer, Rice and Rison all went to reach the professional level. Rison starred in the NFL as an All-Pro receiver, Rice won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000 and Grayer enjoyed a 10-year NBA career after becoming Iowa State’s all-time leading scorer. Grayer currently lives in Grand Blanc and agreed that today is a sad day as the school approaches its final home game. He is planning to attend tonight’s contest.

“When you start thinking about all the various schools closing, it speaks volume to the economy and it speaks volume to change in our community,” Grayer said. “Knowing that at one time, Flint was booming with General Motors, the Mott Foundation and all the big things that were happening in our community.”

NBA veterans Morris Peterson and Trent Tucker, Ohio State volleyball coach Pete Hanson and NBA official Courtney Kirkland are other notable Northwestern alumni. Two-time heavyweight champion Chris Byrd also graduated as a Wildcat in 1989.

With all that Byrd has accomplished in his life, including a 1992 Olympic silver medal, he’s still remembered for a fight outside the ring as an 18-year-old senior.

“The one thing that everybody remembers is when I got jumped in front of the school and I fought five guys outside of the school,” Byrd said. “It was lunch time and everybody was watching.

“I seen one guy drop, another guy drop and we were all just fighting then security came,” he added. “They jumped in the getaway car and I was chasing the car. It was like a movie. Everybody at the school knew about it and said ‘Oh, they messed with the wrong dude.”

Byrd lives in California but still sometimes gets approached about that incident. For Byrd and other athletes, Northwestern signifies childhood and freedom.

Byrd can still recall specific teachers, dances and events from high school even at 46-years-old.

“We represented N-Dub everywhere we went,” Byrd said. “All these superstars came from out of here… the Flint greats. It’s sad that there’s not going to be any sports there anymore.

“C’mon? All of these athletes to come out of Northwestern,” he continued. “It’s sad to see the decline of certain schools. It is crazy. All this does is hurts the kids and nobody thinks about the kids and what they have to go through. Sports is a major part of life.”