Top of the class - Seaton Burn College are the Powergen Champions Schools Tournament's year seven title winners.
The Northumberland outfit defeated St John's College of County Durham 16-14 at Gateshead Stadium and now go through to the national stages of the event later this month - the last 16 in England and Wales.
Delighted team spokesman Neil Jones said: "This is an excellent achievement considering the boys have very limited experience of the game."
Both sides produced a high standard of rugby league but, after an evenly-matched opening period, it was Seaton Burn who struck first. Ross Potts was on hand to collect the final pass and score after strong running in the middle had drawn in the St John's defence.
Matthew Horner added a difficult and ultimately crucial conversion.
St John's soon responded, Callum McNab charging over to make it 6-4, and would have gone into the interval ahead but for desperate Burn tackling before the break.
Burn regained the initiative early in the second half, Robbie Gray receiving a pass from a scrum and setting off on a 70-metre run to score, with another Horner conversion then taking it to 12-4.
Again, however, St John's were able to force their way back into the game, Ben Thompson barging over from close range for an unconverted try which took the score to 12-8.
St John's kept pressing but again Gray struck from deep to extend Burn's lead - receiving the ball from his side's under-pressure scrum, he blasted clear to score a stunning 90-metre try.
Ben Thompson bagged his second try, Chris Hardy's conversion making it 16-14, but time ran out for the Bishop Auckland side.
St John's, however, fared better in the year eight final, defeating Newcastle's Longbenton Community 42-8. Longbenton found themselves 18-0 down early on but continued to take the game to St John's and were finally rewarded with a well-worked try, Zack Pegram running on to a perfectly-weighted kick to touchdown on the right.
The Tynesiders started the second half well, Curtis Hood spotting a gap from a tap penalty and darting through to make it 24-8 - but a concerted period of pressure from St John's then killed the game off.
St John's also claimed the year 10 trophy, defeating Durham City's Durham Johnston School 34-12.
They may yet complete a hat-trick as their year nine decider against Chester-le-Street's Hermitage School is yet to be played due to weather postponements.