Hickory High School is located in Hickory, North Carolina, United States. It is a public high school in the Hickory City School system, located in Catawba County.
History The first building that housed Hickory High School, was located at 432 4th Avenue SW Hickory, NC 28603, and opened September 17, 1917. When Hickory High School relocated from this site, the remaining building became the Green Park Elementary School, before serving as the Hickory City Schools administration building.
The second building that housed what is now Hickory High, was named Claremont Central High School, and was located at 243 3rd Avenue NE Hickory, NC 28601. After the name change, many people continued to refer to the school as Hickory High School. The deed was signed for the high school on January 26, 1924; however, it did not open until October 9, 1925. The school remained at this location for 47 years. Twelve years after the school relocated from its second building, the former Claremont Central High School was designated as a local landmark by the City of Hickory and listed on the National Register of Historic Places a year later.Brewer, Ashlie. (October 22, 2024). Ridgeview High Mighty Panthers and Hickory High Materials Now Available!. digitalnc.org. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
In 1972, Hickory High School moved to its current location of 1234 3rd Street NE. The Hickory Board of Education agreed to officially name the new school building its original name once again, Hickory High School. Hickory High is currently classified as a NCHSAA 5A high school. It is the largest school within the Hickory City School district.
Athletics Hickory is a member of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) and are classified as a 5A school. The school is a part of the Western Foothills 4A/5A Conference.Bryant, Joel. (March 6, 2025). Here are the new NCHSAA conferences for 2025-29. highschoolot.com. Retrieved September 20, 2025. Hickory's school colors are garnet and gold, and its team name is the Red Tornadoes. Sports at Hickory include:
Baseball Basketball Cheerleading Cross Country Football Golf Lacrosse Marching Band Soccer Softball Swimming Tennis Track & Field Volleyball Wrestling
State Championships Hickory has won the following NCHSAA team state championships: Girl's Basketball: 1995 (3A), 1998 (3A), 1999 (3A), 2015 (3A)Past Women's Championship Results. NCHSAA. Retrieved May 26, 2026. Football: 1996 (3A), 2023 (3A)Football State Championship List. NCHSAA. Retrieved May 26, 2026. Boy's Golf: 2001 (3A), 2003 (3A), 2007 (3A), 2009 (3A)Men's Golf State Champions. NCHSAA. Retrieved May 26, 2026. Boy's Soccer: 2001 (3A), 2022 (3A)NCHSAA Men’s Soccer State Champions. NCHSAA. Retrieved May 26, 2026. Girl's Swimming & Diving: 1981 (All Classes), 1994 (1A/2A/3A)Swimming And Diving Women’s Team State Champions. NCHSAA. Retrieved May 26, 2026. Boy's Tennis: 1989 (4A), 2004 (3A), 2006 (3A), 2021 (3A), 2023 (3A)Men's Tennis Dual Team State Champions. NCHSAA. Retrieved May 26, 2026.Men's Tennis Individual State Champions. NCHSAA. Retrieved May 26, 2026. Girl's Tennis: 1970 (All Classes), 1993 (3A), 2006 (3A)Women's Tennis Individual State Championships. NCHSAA. Retrieved May 26, 2026.Women's Tennis Dual Team State Champions. NCHSAA. Retrieved May 26, 2026. Volleyball: 2025 (5A)Gilbert, C. Richard. (November 1, 2025). Hickory High Wins State 5A Volleyball Title. 860wacb.com. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
Clubs and organizations
The Quill Writing Team competes in writing competitions, in which they are given 90 minutes to complete an essay on given writing prompts. In 2016 and 2017, they won The Quill State Finals.
Notable people Alumni Austin M. Allran, member of the North Carolina General Assembly Jeff Barkley, former MLB pitcherJeff Barkley Baseball Stats. Baseball Almanac. Retrieved May 21, 2021. Rick Barnes, college basketball head coach Harry Dowda, former NFL defensive back Gary Glenn, political activist and former member of the Michigan House of RepresentativesDayberry, John. (Nov 17, 2014). Names and Faces: Hickory native elected to Michigan House of Representatives. Hickory Daily Record. Retrieved Aug 29, 2020. Ryan Hill, long-distance track runner Austin Johnson, former NFL fullback E. Patrick Johnson, the Carlos Montezuma Professor of Performance Studies and Professor of African-American Studies at Northwestern University Johnny Mackorell, professional football player and coach Trevin Parks, professional basketball playerTrevin Parks - Men's Basketball. GoldenBullSports.com. Retrieved May 1, 2019. J.T. Poston, professional golfer Ryan Succop, former NFL kicker, Super Bowl LV champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Chris Washburn, former NBA player Andy Wells, served in the North Carolina House of Representatives and North Carolina SenateCandidate Profile Andy Wells | iVoterGuide. Retrieved Aug 29, 2020.
Faculty Frank Barger, high school athletics coach and member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame Elwood L. Perry (nicknamed “Buck” Perry) teacher, author, and inventor of the fishing lure known as the spoonplugMartin, Douglas. (August 28, 2005). Elwood Perry, 90, Dies; Maker of a Fishing Lure. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
References
External links
Official School Athletic Site Hickory City Schools Website