At least that was the general response from area coaches whose teams are named in The Associated Press Illinois high school football poll released Monday.

In all, six area teams made the cut in the eight classes: Deer Creek-Mackinaw, LeRoy, Prairie Central, Pontiac, Bloomington and Normal West.

BHS coach Rigo Schmelzer, whose Purple Raiders are ranked No. 4 in Class 6A, feels his team needs to perform better to merit that ranking.

"We're not practicing like the No. 4 ranked team right now," Schmelzer said. "All they're doing is going by what we've done in the past.

"It's an indication of the hard work of the players in the past and recognition for the program we've built."

Normal West coach Darren Hess, whose Wildcats are ninth in 6A, called his team's inclusion a tribute to what the players accomplished last year.

"I think it is quite an honor," Hess said. "But, it's a brand new year, and we've got to earn our keep.

"(The players) understand it is going to be a little different this year. We're not going to surprise anybody."

Dee-Mack received the highest ranking of an area school, coming in at No. 2 in Class 1A. Like Schmelzer, Chiefs coach Jim McDonald wasn't so sure it was warranted.

"After tonight's practice, I don't know if we're the second-best team in our conference," McDonald said.

McDonald said rankings can give opponents some added incentive to win a game.

"We just tell (our players) they are going to have to play better each week. The teams that play us now will play a touchdown better because of where we were ranked," McDonald said. "We have to realize we are going to get everyone's best shot."

LeRoy is three spots behind Dee-Mack, but coach B.J. Zeleznik said his team's focus in on Friday's season opener against Bismarck-Henning.

"We've been ranked some years and didn't do very well, and unranked other years and done well," Zeleznik said. "We understand that coming into the playoffs you throw the records out the window. It comes down to who has become a better team from Week 1 to Week 9.

"So, as far as the ranking, we will reserve judgment on that."

Prairie Central sits at No. 8 in Class 4A, while Pontiac is seventh in Class 5A.

"It's really nice. It won't mean any extra points in the first game," said Pontiac coach Mick Peterson. "It's nice to have the respect of other people."

Maine South, the state runner-up a year ago in Class 8A, has been chosen No. 1 in the big school division.

Other top-ranked teams were Alexis United (1A), Sterling Newman Catholic (2A), DuQuoin (3A), Addison Driscoll (4A), Metamora (5A), Joliet Catholic (6A) and New Lenox Providence (7A).

Associated Presscontributed to this report