Editor's Note: "Inside The 25" counts down the '08 preseason top 25 rankings in all five 11-man classifications, taking a closer look at each team in the rankings, starting from No. 25 and working down to the No. 1 teams in each classification.
CLASS 5A's #22: San Antonio Southwest
2007 Preseason Ranking/Final Ranking: NR/NR
2007 Final Record/Playoff Finish: 11-1/DI area finalists
Why They're Ranked: Because they're no longer flying under our radar. Only five of our preseason Top 25 teams in 5A went unbeaten in the 2007 regular season, a group that includes powerhouses like Permian and Katy. Yet unheralded Southwest also went 10-0 in 2007 before a 24-16 loss to eventual runner-up Judson ended Southwest's season. With 11 starters back -- and an influx of speed, head coach Matt Elliott said -- repeating last year's 10-0 run is within grasp. With Marcus Wright (Reagan) and Devin Thomas (Madison) gone, Southwest's Stephen Salinas (1,936 yards, 34 TDs) has elevated to the city's top rushing threat. Who hands off to Salinas has not been determined, but since nearly 80 percent of Southwest's offense comes via the ground game, that's not as pressing an issue as what pass-happy programs face. One intangible working in SW's favor to keep in mind: Now in 29-5A, SW will avoid teams like Judson, Madison, and Smithson Valley in the first two rounds of the playoffs, playing a team from 30-5A in the first round, followed by the winner of a 31-32 matchup.
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