The Kavanagh College futsal team had to persuade the school's sports department to let it attend the national secondary schools championships held last week.
Six weeks later, it came back with the trophy.
The eight-man squad flew to Wellington from Christchurch on Wednesday and scurried back for its return flight shortly after the prize giving on Friday.
In that time, it managed to win seven consecutive matches, beating the likes of defending champion St Patrick's College, of Wellington.
It defeated Napier Boys' High School 5-3 in the final.
Kavanagh College sport head of department Mike Waterworth, who travelled with the team, said captain and acting coach Ben O'Farrell approached him six weeks ago in an effort to convince the school to send a squad.
It was agreed the school would send eight players and would have a player-coach.
There were 32 teams in the senior boys' section and most teams had 10 to 12 players, Waterworth said.
The school knocked off Wainuiomata High School 6-0, Shirley Boys' High School 6-1 and Glendowie College 4-3 to top its pool.
It then went past St Thomas of Canterbury College 2-1 in the round of 16 match and held off a late charge from St Patrick's to win its quarterfinal 3-2.
A strong second half accounted for Otago Boys' High School 4-2 in the semifinal before Napier Boys' High School was defeated in the final.
Waterworth singled Ben out as ‘‘the best player of the tournament'' while Niko Cockerill won the Golden Gloves award for best goalkeeper.
Ben's brother, Tim, was strong on defence and Max Johnston was the team's leading goal-scorer.
