The annual crosstown game between Wheaton Warrenville South and Wheaton North took on more significance than usual Friday.

The Tigers hoped to get within a win of playoff eligibility, and the Falcons wanted to avoid needing to win out to remain eligible for the postseason.

The DuKane Conference rivals can’t control who is on their roster though, and the Tigers benefited from having Owen Yorke, whose two touchdowns accounted for the only scores of a 14-0 victory.

“It’s a great feeling just seeing how one little play can change the outcome of a game and how one gritty block by an O-lineman or one gritty block by a wide receiver could completely change not only the game, just our season in general,” said Yorke, who ran for 236 yards on 28 carries.

With 26 seconds left in the first quarter, Yorke ran for the only score of the first half — a 44-yard touchdown that came after he accumulated three yards on his first four carries.

Although the Tigers (4-2, 3-1) had a 7-0 lead at halftime, Wheaton Warrenville South’s Justin Miller and Wheaton North’s Burke Neibch had combined to complete 9 of 16 passes for 55 yards at that point.

After the Falcons (2-4, 1-3) stalled out on the opening drive of the second half, the ensuing punt pinned the Tigers at their own 1-yard line.

What followed was a lengthy possession in which Wheaton Warrenville South primarily relied on the run. But it couldn’t get past Wheaton North’s 8, and the Tigers missed a 25-yard field goal attempt.

On the first play of the next drive, Neibch threw what would have been an 80-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Kading, but a penalty for an ineligible man downfield wiped it out. As the third quarter gave way to the fourth, it appeared that penalty only delayed a score as the Falcons marched all the way to the Tigers’ 10.

But a fourth-down pass to the corner of the end zone fell incomplete, and Wheaton North came up empty just like Wheaton Warrenville South right before it.

Yorke made the Falcons pay for their inability to tie the game on third down of the next series, running the ball 80 yards for a touchdown and doubling the Tigers’ lead with 4:29 remaining.

Needing a touchdown to keep Wheaton North alive, Neibch led a drive that got the offense into Wheaton Warrenville South territory. Zach Rogers ended any comeback hopes when he intercepted a desperation heave by Neibch.

“Really proud of our guys for coming up big in those big situations and that senior leadership really executing in big moments,” Tigers coach Sean Norris said. “Super proud of them.”

Max Serbick paced Wheaton North with 130 yards on 23 rushing attempts.

“We did run the ball pretty well, got a few throws throughout the night but just weren’t able to string enough plays together to put the ball in the end zone,” Falcons coach Joe Wardynski said.