Football boys make history by winning Taranaki men's premier title for first time

New Plymouth Boys’ High School 1st XI have capped off a successful season by winning the Taranaki Football Premiership – the first time any school team has topped the men's open competition.

Captained by Ben Wilson, the side drew with FC Western 1-1 on Saturday to finish on top of the premiership ladder with 14 wins, two draws, and two losses from 18 games.

New Plymouth Boys’ High School (NPBHS) also won the Super 8 secondary school competition, played between schools in the upper central North Island, defeating Hamilton BHS 2-1 in the final, and were unbeaten in traditional inter-school games.

Unfortunately, restrictions imposed by Covid-19 ruled out the team taking its place in the national secondary school championships which were cancelled in 2020.

Coach Mick Curry said the team's success was based on all the players knowing what their role was on the field.

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“It was an awesome achievement to win the premier league and it capped off a fantastic season,” he said.

Curry, a former Ipswich Town and British Army representative, said the performances on the field were matched by a coaching staff who had a like-minded vision of how they wanted the team to play.

“The boys have really worked hard all year and achieved history to be the first school side to win the league.

“We had good depth and all-round skills, which made us dangerous from all parts of the ground.

“We had a blueprint of how we would play during the season and the players developed a great understanding of playing to a certain style to match opposing teams.

“It was a good brand of football, and we scored a lot of goals as a result.”

Curry said the introduction of Futbol at the high school also helped players to improve their skill level, with close marking on a smaller playing surface.

The side, comprising students from Year 11-13, scored 59 goals and conceded 17 during the season.

Top goal scorer was Ethan O’Halloran with 21 goals, followed by Kieran Deegan with 17.

O’Halloran is the son of former All Black, Wellington and Hurricanes midfielder Jason O’Halloran, now a professional rugby coach in Japan, and a keen sideline supporter of the team.