Seven-One Football Club

Seventy-First High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina, has a rich history that dates back to 1924. The school was formed through the consolidation of six schools in the Seventy-First Township: McPherson, Glendale, Haymount, Kornbow, Westover, and Galatia. This consolidation led to the establishment of the new school on the Glendale site, named after the township itself. The township’s name derived from Scottish immigrants who were descendants of the 71st Regiment of Foot, Fraser’s Highlanders, a notable Scots regiment in the British Army.

The original school building, completed in November 1924, was a two-story structure with thirteen classrooms catering to grades one through twelve. It welcomed an inaugural enrollment of 367 students. The school’s first graduation ceremony took place on May 25, 1925, with a graduating class of five students. This original building is now home to the Seventy-First Classical Middle School.

The school witnessed significant growth and expansion over the years. In 1962, a new building was constructed across the street, and further expansions occurred regularly, including the addition of new wings in 1965 and 1967, and the construction of huts between 1966 and 1972, and then from 1973 to 1976. The 1970s saw the addition of new sports facilities, full accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the opening of new vocational and greenhouse buildings. By the 1976-1977 academic year, the student population had surged to 2,544, making it the most populated secondary school in North Carolina at the time.

In response to this rapid growth, new schools such as Douglas Byrd High School and Westover High School were opened in 1972 and 1977, respectively, to help manage the increasing student numbers. Since 1977, the enrollment at Seventy-First has remained stable.

A major shift occurred in 1985 when the Cumberland County and Fayetteville City school systems merged, forming the Cumberland County School System, which is now the fourth-largest in the state. Today, Seventy-First High School continues to be an integral part of this school system.