Year 13 student and team captain Saunders said the win eased last year's heartbreak when the same players lost the tournament final to Tauranga Boys' College.
"We knew this year was our best chance of winning it as I'm off next year and another player is.
"The school doesn't win a ton of national squash titles so it was pretty cool to experience," Saunders said.
He hoped the excitement of their success would filter into the 12 players who make up the Whangārei Boys' High School squash academy.
The winning team, who range from Year 10 to Year 13, had the advantage of having started playing together in the Manaia Squash Club junior programme in Whangārei Heads.
"We all get along really well and it creates that positive environment where we give each other helpful support in between the matches," Saunders said.
It's a team culture that made a "noticeable difference" to their performance, he added.
Pressure from the large crowd gathered to watch the final and the memory of last year's result was intensified by the four scouts helping to pick players for the New Zealand squads headed to Australia in two weeks.
Saunders knew he was in with a chance to represent the country for the first time on the court after being named in a lower-ranking squad and as he was one of 10 players at the centre of the scouts' attention throughout the tournament.
"That was pressure on top of already playing for your team," he said.
But his efforts paid off when, during the tournament prizegiving, he was named in the New Zealand Senior Squash team, and Boys' High team-mate Laing was selected for the New Zealand Junior Squash team - both destined for Brisbane.
Saunders said the team's win put him in good stead ahead of Australia as he would head into the seven-day clash with boosted confidence and strong form.
