This won't go down as "Spygate" similar to the NFL incident from several seasons back, because the coaches and teams involved here get along just fine.

There's no venom between these emerging Elk Grove Unified School District programs, but the mysterious and completely unethical filming of practice this week did make for a humorous pregame theme.

Monday, Cosumnes Oaks High School assistant coach Richard Rios spotted someone filming practice, with equipment and gear stashed under a towel. He chased the culprit off before he could confiscate the goods.

Turns out, no film proof was needed to verify the product. No. 14 Cosumnes Oaks is plenty good. So is No. 13 Sheldon, which held on for a wildly entertaining 28-26 nonleague home win as it continues its EGUSD tour in this sudden season of promise.

Joshua Hadley rushed for 186 yards, no one carry more backbreaking or electrifying on a night that featured lightning strikes across the region than his 62-yard burst that accounted for the final score.

The senior reversed field and pulled away with 5:13 left to play, chugging in for his second score and a 2-1 season record.

Both teams are experiencing growing pains. There isn't a single Cosumnes Oaks player who didn't think his crew outplayed the Huskies with sustained drives and balance. And the Huskies, to a man, are piping mad they couldn't polish off the upstart Wolfpack.

Cosumnes Oaks (2-1) agonized over a 57-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Williams to Michael Thomas with 1:52 left that was called back for offensive pass interference. A group sack a moment later resulted in a fumble at the Cosumnes Oaks 5.

Sheldon took a knee on consecutive downs to end it, a show of class and proof that the filming will forever be stashed as a gag gone wrong.

Sheldon couldn't contain Williams much otherwise. He rushed for 143 yards and accounted for three total scores, but he was held inches short of goal line on 2-point coversion run in an attempt to tie the score 28-28.

The Huskies are a bad break or two away from being 3-0, but coach Josh Crabtree loves his team's upside and appreciates its work. Next is a game at Elk Grove, for years the district standard bearer of excellence.

"I feel good about where we are as a team," Crabtree said. "Breaking in 17 new starters wasn't going to be easy. I always tell our teams that our goal is to be the best high school football team in the city of Elk Grove. You can't lay claim to that mythical title if you duck a school (like Cosumnes Oaks)."

Crabtree and Cosumnes Oaks coach Scooter Gomes are pals, and they planned to play this game two years ago. Cosumnes Oaks is a Division III program that expected to be D-I when it opened several years ago before the housing stopped. Sheldon is D-I.

Most large schools avoid D-III schools, but it's clear Cosumnes Oaks has legitimate D-I skills, in players and as a program in general.

Sheldon also has some talent of the wow variety as it stands a win away from matching last year's victory total. There's Hadley, quarterback Davon Chapple and defensive end Nate Iese, and unsung linebacker Jesse Simons, who returned a fumble for a touchdown.

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