John Paul College's 13th grade football team punched well above their weight this year.
They were unbeaten in the 2012 Rotorua Football 13th grade competition and were promoted to the 14/15th grade, where they also finished unbeaten.
They then went on to win the knock-out tournament for the same grade.
Their outstanding season continued when they finished third at the 2012 AIMS Games, regarded as the national champs for intermediate schools in New Zealand. Forty intermediate schools from across the country entered the tournament.
John Paul College was the only school outside of Auckland to make the top four at AIMS. They convincingly won the play-off game for bronze against Auckland's Blockhouse Bay Intermediate, 4-1.