The school was named in honor of Eugene Joseph McGuinness (1889–1957), the second Bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh.

In 2014, the girls basketball team (the Lady Villains) won its ninth consecutive state championship, a NCHSAA Record, and tied for the 2nd longest consecutive state championship win streak nationally.

The Boys' Cross Country team has qualified for the NCHSAA 1A Regional and State meets seven consecutive times since 2005, finishing as low as eight, with their highest finish of third place in the 2011 NCHSAA 1A State Championship at Beeson Park.

They have won the Midwest 1A Regional and Northwest 1A Conference meets five of the past six years, and holds the NCHSAA 1A State Title for 2008, 2012, and 2013.

[4] The Boys' Tennis team won the 2011 NCHSAA 1A State Championship defeating the North Carolina School of Math and Science in the final.