Looming near the football field at Del Oro High School is a steep hill that bears no charm or grass.

It's where the Golden Eagles linemen meet once a week after practice in a bonding workout as they race up the incline while their legs burn and their tongues drag.

On the top, players are greeted by a sign that reads, "The Hill – Where Champions Are Made."

The trek to the literal top of the prep mountain included – but isn't necessarily capped – by Friday night's 21-7 win over Oakdale in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championship game at Sacramento State. It is Del Oro's second consecutive title and eighth for the program since 1989.

As they have all season, the Golden Eagles' offensive linemen played a leading role. On each of Del Oro's three touchdown runs – Nick O'Sullivan for 25 yards in the second quarter and Brandon Monroe for 29 and 26 yards in the third – the line executed perfectly.

When it was over, that line of Zach Heath, Kevin Love, Logan Lamb, Ashwin Cardenas, Dalton Hudec and tight end Alex Bertrando celebrated with their teammates, then hustled over to the student rooting section aptly called the "Black Hole." The backdrop was seemingly the entire town of Loomis.

Exhausted but eager for more is Del Oro coach Casey Taylor, who has three section titles in his 10 seasons and now inches closer to the one prize the program has not enjoyed: a state championship bowl bid.

California's 10 section commissioners will meet Dec. 11 to discuss and vote on state bowl teams.

Bowl-worthy? The Golden Eagles (13-1) have lost only to state-ranked No. 1 and nationally ranked No. 5 Westlake in overtime in Week 2. Unbeaten Westlake hasn't been challenged since, and closes in on its own bowl bid.

"We think we've done enough to get a bowl," Taylor said in between breaths. "The season speaks for itself, who we've played, how we've played. We've worked so hard for it."

Del Oro is blue-collar-tough in the trenches, on defense and in the backfield. There's power in O'Sullivan (127 rushing yards) and speed in Monroe (141), and they have made life a breeze for offensive coordinator Jeff Dietrich.

O'Sullivan (interception) and Monroe played inspired defense for coordinator Steve Birch, as did Russell Smith (interception), Tanner Huber (seven tackles), Blake Covey (seven) and Austin Soldano (six).

"It's such a relief to come out on top like this, can't ask for any more," an emotional O'Sullivan said. "Our line, it was the game of their lives, hat on hat, and we executed."

Bowl hopes? Del Oro players can officially talk about it now.

"I think we deserve it," O'Sullivan said. "We played the toughest teams. We should be in a bowl – no contest."

No. 2 Del Oro (13-1) toppled the field's top seed in Oakdale (13-1), which came in averaging nearly 53 points a game.

Oakdale coach Trent Merzon heaped praise on Del Oro before the game and after, calling it a model operation "that does it all the right way."

Merzon said Del Oro has become a standard by which to measure his own program.

"They're a dynamite football program," Merzon said. "It's a machine, no weaknesses, the best we've seen."

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Joe Davidson co-hosts the SureWest Sports Radio Show each Saturday from 9-10 a.m. on ESPN1320. Today's guests: Sac-Joaquin Section commissioner Pete Saco and Del Oro coach Casey Taylor.

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