It seems hard to believe but after this weekend’s games conclude the IHSA regular season will be one third over.

Also when those games conclude there should be about 100 teams in the state of Illinois that feel pretty good about their circumstance.

As of this moment there are 162 teams that enter the weekend with 2-0 records. 50 of those teams are playing against another 2-0 team in the Week 3 schedule.

That guarantees that there are at least 25 teams that will be dropped from the list of undefeated teams, several others will likely fall from the list as well.

But for those that get out of the week free and clear without a loss, one of the primary goals of the regular season chase: securing a playoff berth will be will within reach.

Then there is the opposite end of the spectrum. A whole host of teams, some of them schools one isn’t used to seeing without at least one win at this point, face the problem of potentially dropping to 0-3. Those teams will have to be practically perfect to achieve the same goal that some 3-0’s now have the luxury of easing into.

It’s only Week 3, but there’s a lot of weight on the result of this week’s game for many programs around the state.

Here’s a look at the top games of Week 3:

Mount Carmel (2-0) at Nazareth (2-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday: Mount Carmel has been as good as advertised this season thus far edging a national ranked opponent in Week 1 before having little difficult dispatching St. Rita in Week 2. Nazareth, despite replacing some key parts, has also shown some real skills thus far.

Loyola (1-0) at St. Francis (2-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday: St. Francis surprised Loyola last season in this crossover match and the Spartans would like nothing more than to make that a string of win over the Ramblers, who enter this game having not played in nearly two weeks after not having a scheduled game in Week 2.

Hinsdale Central (2-0) at Downers Grove North (2-0), 7 p.m. Friday: Hinsdale Central has been one of the notable positive movers in the early season with back-to-back comfortable wins over West Aurora and Hinsdale Central. They would love nothing more than to pick up another statement win against the Trojans who are looking to keep up the momentum gained as they breezed by district rival Downers Grove South last week.

Barrington (2-0) at Glenbrook South (2-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday: Glenbrook South made some waves with its overtime victory over York in Week 1 but gets another chance to prove that they are a team to be reckoned with against Barrington, another team that’s been strong out of the gate.

Brother Rice (2-0) at St. Rita (1-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday: Brother Rice continues to show its intent to make a strong run in Class 7A and dominated Marist in Week 2. St. Rita continues to run its scheduled gauntlet that has begun with also a win over Marist and a loss to the Mount Carmel freight train.

Other games of note: New Trier at Hoffman Estates; Notre Dame at St. Laurence; Morris at Peoria; Marist at Montini; Washington at Metamora; Lena-Winslow at Rochelle; Richmond-Burton at Johnsburg; Joliet Catholic at Fenwick; East St. Louis at Bishop Gorman (Nevada); Geneva at St. Charles North; Palatine at Maine South.