As expected, Otago Boys' High School is top of the table and King's High School is also in the top four but it is the first time John McGlashan College has been there since the competition started in 2009.
John McGlashan has been steadily climbing in the past couple of years and showed its maturity with a hard-fought 18-10 win over Menzies College in Wyndham on Saturday.
The ground and conditions were appalling in Southland and John McGlashan had to play on a ground which had large patches of water on it.
The visiting team led 8-0 at halftime and then pulled away to win comfortably against a strong home side.
Loose forwards Joe Mullis and Rory Ferguson scored tries for McGlashan and right winger Olie Knopp picked up the other try in a fine individual performance.
Halfback Daine Lowery got through plenty of work for McGlashan and cleared the ball effectively in the trying conditions.
Otago Boys' High School beat Southland Boys' High School 35-30 in Invercargill on Saturday but it was not easy.
The game was transferred to a firmer ground than the school field but it was still tough going in the cold and wet.
The Otago Boys' machine took a while to get going and Southland Boys' was up 13-12 at the break.
But Otago Boys' put its foot down early in the second half and scored 20 quick points in the second spell to go up 32-13.
Star second five-eighth Sio Tomkinson was then sent to the sin bin for a team penalty and spent more than 15 minutes off the field as the home side poured on the pressure.
Southland, the other team in the top four, scored two tries in the final few minutes but Otago got home.
Tomkinson had a great game when on the paddock while lock Matt McNamara, who had been ill a couple of days before the match, turned in a fine effort.
In Dunedin, King's High School put on one of its best efforts of the season to beat St Kevin's College 39-17.
St Kevin's scored after five minutes but King's came back well and put together some fine attacking movements, scoring 39 unanswered points.
Pacy fullback Taylor Haugh was a constant threat on attack as King's led 25-5 at the break. In the forwards, PJ Tili worked hard and prop Sidney Fidow continued his fine season.
St Kevin's came back into the match in the final stages with good games coming from hooker Fergus Smith and fullback Alex Collier.
In the other game in the top eight, Waitaki Boys' High School and Mt Aspiring College fought out a 17-17 draw in Cromwell.
In the bottom six, South Otago beat Gore 34-11, Dunstan thrashed Central Southland 73-5 and St Peter's beat James Hargest 17-6.
There is one more round of games to be played before semifinals and the final is scheduled for August 23.
