The school's roots go back to 1876 when St. Mary's Institute was opened with a handful of female pupils, many from local Irish families.

In 1986, the Catholic Central Cavaliers Baseball team, won the Class B WISAA State Championship.

Between the years of 1986-1991 the Catholic Central Cavvies took state titles for their volleyball program several times.

[citation needed] In 2003, Catholic Central and nearby Lena High School combined their football teams.

This arrangement is allowed under WIAA rules to create opportunities for students who might not be able to participate if schools were unable to operate a program.