# Huntington High School (West Virginia)

Huntington High School is a four year high school located on top of a hill just outside Huntington, West Virginia.

## History

Huntington High School was established in 1996 through the consolidation of the old Huntington and Huntington East High Schools. The school has a student body of approximately 1600 students. Huntington High School carries the Highlander mascot with the colors old gold and hunter green. The Huntington High Staff consists of a principal, five assistant principals, five counselors, 142 teachers, five secretaries, an athletic director, and 10 custodians. Eleven cooks staff the cafeteria and offer a variety of both hot and cold lunch selections daily. Four administrative offices can be found throughout the building to facilitate the needs of both students and staff. The award-winning curricular and extra-curricular programs offered at Huntington High School provide activities for all areas of interest. Huntington High is accredited by the North Central Association. In 2010, Huntington High School was featured in Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Television show on ABC. In 2016, after the filming of this television show focused on moderating eating habits and fighting obesity, the Cabell County Board of Education announced the school would pilot a program of unlimited and free food for all students regardless of socio-economic status.
Huntington High School (which combined old Huntington and Huntington East High School) was originally called Cabell West High School during the school project planning period. The name was then changed to Huntington Summit when the name of the other public high school in Cabell County was changed to Cabell Midland. The Cabell County Board of Education then decided that the new school should have connections to the two schools, Huntington High and Huntington East, that were being consolidated together. That is why the new school kept the Huntington High School name and then adopted the Highlanders nickname from the soon-to-be-closed Huntington East High School. The new school colors have no connection to the old high schools.
In 2022, the high school made national news over a series of walkouts associated with a religious service being held in the school's auditorium.

## Student Body

Huntington High, with an enrollment of 1,731, is one of the largest high schools in the state. The population is 50.85% male. The school is 77.46% White, 14.70% Black, 1.82% Hispanic, 0.85% Asian, and 4.86% of 2 or more races.

## Athletics

Huntington High School's athletic programs are well-represented at the state level. HHS has produced over 100 West Virginia State Championships in multiple sports.

### State championships
#### Pre-Consolidation State championships

Listed below are all championships won by Huntington East High School (E) and Old Huntington High School (H).
| | State championships | State runners-up |
| Sport | Year(s) | Year(s) |
| Baseball | 1949 (E), 1961 (H), 1964 (H), 1966 (H), 1976 (H), 1980 (E), 1981 (E), 1982 (E), 1986 (E), 1987 (E) | 1974 (E) |
| Boys basketball | 1925 (H), 1931 (H), 1937 (H), 1944 (H), 1947 (E), 1961 (H), 1969 (H), 1988 (H) | 1932 (H), 1941 (H), 1948 (E), 1955 (H) |
| Girls basketball | 1919 (H) | 1920 (H), 1986 (E), 1992 (E), 1993 (E), 1996 (E) |
| Cheer | | 1989 (H) |
| Boys cross country | 1961 (H), 1962 (H), 1964 (E), 1965 (E) | 1958 (H), 1959 (E), 1960 (E), 1967 (E) |
| Football | | 1964 (H), 1966 (H) |
| Golf | 1960 (H), 1961 (H), 1963 (H), 1964 (H), 1968 (H), 1973 (H) | 1954 (H), 1966 (H), 1975 (H), 1991 (E), 1996 (H) |
| Softball | 1996 (H) | |
| Boys tennis | 1956 (H), 1957 (H), 1962 (E), 1973 (H), 1995 (H) | |
| Girls tennis | 1995 (H), 1996 (H) | |
| Boys track | 1914 (H), 1915 (H), 1918 (H), 1919 (H), 1920 (H), 1927 (H), 1931 (H), 1938 (H), 1939 (H), 1940 (H), 1942 (H), 1945 (H), 1947 (H), 1963 (H), 1967 (H), 1990 (H), 1993 (H) | |
| Girls track | 1982 (H), 1985 (H), 1988 (H), 1989 (H), 1990 (H) | |
| Volleyball | 1985 (E), 1986 (E), 1987 (E), 1988 (E), 1990 (E) | 1984 (E) |

#### Post-Consolidation State championships

Listed below are all championships won by Huntington High after 1996.
| | State championships | State runners-up |
| Sport | Year(s) | Year(s) |
| Boys basketball | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2017 | 2016 |
| Girls basketball | 2000, 2017, 2021, 2022 | 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016 |
| Football | 2022 | 2013, 2021 |
| Golf | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2019 | |
| Softball | 2007, 2008 | |
| Girls soccer | 2004 | 2003 |
| Boys swimming | 2024 | |
| Boys tennis | 2000, 2004, 2011, 2012, 2017 | |
| Girls tennis | 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2021 | 2022 |
| Boys track | 2023 | |
| Wrestling | 2013, 2014 | |
| Boys Swimming | 2024 | |

### Huntington Prep School

In 2009, Huntington Prep School was originally housed within St. Joseph Central Catholic High School, but in 2020 ended that relationship. Since 2021, Huntington Prep became part of Cabell County Schools after they moved host schools to Huntington High School.

## Clubs and Organizations

* Beta Club
* Esports Club
* Fellowship of Christian Athletes
* Future Business Leaders of America
* Gardening Club
* Herpetology Club
* International Thespian Society
* JROTC
* Key Club
* Latin Club
* National Honors Society
* ONYX Dance Team
* Operation BEST
* Philanthropy Club
* Poetry Club
* Nickelback Fan Club
* Science Olympiad
* Student Government (Member of the National Association of Student Councils)
* Speech & Debate / National Speech and Debate Association
* Vex Robotics Team
* Young Democrats
* Young Libertarians
* Young Republicans

## Notable alumni
### As Old Huntington High School

* 1917 - Charlie Honaker, former NFL halfback, Cleveland Bulldogs
* 1917 - Hoge Workman, retired relief pitcher in Major League Baseball and a player-coach in the National Football League
* 1922 - Johnson Fry, former MLB pitcher, Cleveland Indians
* 1930 - Eddie King, former athletic director, Morris Harvey College
* 1939 - Dagmar, former actress, model, and television personality of 1950
* 1942 - Marshall Hawkins, retired NBA basketball Forward
* 1944 - Soupy Sales, former comedian and entertainer, notable panelist on the television hit What's My Line?
* 1948 - Bob Orders, former NFL center, Green Bay Packers
* 1955 - Leo Byrd, gold medalist at the 1959 Pan American Games for Basketball
* 1955 - Homer Heck, former West Virginia House of Delegates
* 1962 - Jacqueline Jackson, author and peace activist
* 1974 - Stephen T. Williams, mayor of Huntington, West Virginia
* 1977 - Bruce R. Evans, venture capitalist, corporate director and philanthropist
* 1982 - Rick Reed, former MLB starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, and Minnesota Twins
* 1983 - Jim Thornton, radio, television announcer, and voice actor; current Wheel of Fortune announcer
* 1984 - Ken Chertow, U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestler at the 1988 Summer Olympics

### As Huntington High School

* 1999 - Justin McElroy, podcaster, co-founder of Polygon; co-host of My Brother, My Brother and Me
* 1999 - Jeff Morrison, 1999 NCAA Tennis Singles Champion for the Florida Gators
* 2002 - Chase Harrison, former MLS goalkeeper
* 2002 - Travis McElroy, podcaster, voice actor; co-host of My Brother, My Brother and Me
* 2003 - Sean Hornbuckle, Minority Leader of the West Virginia House of Delegates
* 2005 - Miko Alley, former soccer player for Philippines women's national football team
* 2005 - Griffin McElroy, podcaster, voice actor, and listed as a Forbes "30 Under 30" media luminary in 2017; co-host of My Brother, My Brother and Me
* 2007 - O. J. Mayo, retired NBA basketball shooting guard
* 2007 - Patrick Patterson, retired NBA basketball small forward
* 2011 - Kayla Williams, 2009 Vault World Champion
* 2019 - Darnell Wright, five-star football recruit and 10th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft
* 2023 - Gavin Lochow, FCS Central freshman All-American wide receiver for the Dayton Flyers
* 2025 - Darryn Peterson, five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2025 recruiting class

## Popular culture

* Rand University, a feature-length 30 for 30 documentary, explores Randy Moss's origins, with its opening scenes set at Huntington High School