WASHINGTON, Ind. - After playing a freshman football game at Gibson Southern in 2007, Joe McCormick returned to Washington and told his dad:

'They have three guys as fast as I am."

Yet McCormick ran away from the Titans Friday night, several times after breaking tackles, en route to 256 yards and 5 touchdowns in leading the Hatchets to a 40-13 Class 3A sectional semifinal win.

He's a hard runner and his speed has picked up. He's faster than our fastest guys," said Gibson Southern coach Rick Stefanich, whose Titans closed with a 4-7 record after leading 7-0 and 13-7.

"Joe has great genes from both sides of his family, he's the hardest-working player I've had, and tonight he got more yards after hits than ever before," said Washington coach Kelly Brashear, whose Hatchets will take a 7-4 log into the sectional final at Evansville Memorial.

"He spun, churned his feet and used his speed."

Stefanich rued that "we got out-physicalled. They were way more physical than we were, they ran harder and they blocked better.

"We didn't tackle, didn't do the fundamental things it takes to win."

Brashear, who missed three days of school and practice this week due to flu, agreed his Hatchets are "a physical team and bigger up front than Gibson Southern.

"I thought our defense would shut them down, but they had me a little worried at first. Once we adjusted and got people in the right places, we took hold."

This despite an impressive performance, in his first varsity start, by Gibson Southern freshman Jordan Scheller. Quarterbacking throughout after handling the last three quarters of a 24-9 sectional-opening win over Vincennes Lincoln, Scheller scored on an 8-yard scramble to cap a 37-yard opening drive that followed Cam Holzmeyer's 45-yard kickoff return and Alec Steinmetz' recovery when the wet ball came loose as Holzmeyer was tackled.

After the Hatchets got even when McCormick capped a 6-minute drive with a 1-yard thrust the second quarter's first play, and Tanner Fritschle matched Logan DeWeese's conversion kick, Scheller put the Titans ahead 13-7 with an 11-yard pass to Holzmeyer, who made a juggling catch.

"We started Jordan because it was wet and sloppy and he's our best running quarterback. Against a physical team he made some great plays, especially early," said Stefanich, who saw the rookie completed 9 of 18 passes for 92 yards with one interception, by Casey Stafford of a pass tipped by linebacker Logan Hawthorne.

"He's very poised, mature beyond his years," Brashear said of Scheller.

"We wanted our guys to tackle Matt Brown. He's a lot like McCormick."

Brown, who rushed 286 yards against Vincennes Lincoln, was held to 24 in 11 carries

"We didn't know until today that Matt would play," Stefanich said.

"Wednesday he got hurt in practice. A deep muscle bruise near the spine. He was in the emergency room."

Told this moments later, Brashear said: "I noticed he got up slowly, and wincing, a couple times."

Kyle Wampler led the Titans with 68 yards in three carries, including 47 and 17 bursts on the drive ended by Stafford's interception. Which didn't hurt, because Lee Williams recovered a Washington fumble the next play and the Scheller-to-Holzmeyer touchdown came three plays later.

But here came McCormick. On third-and-eight and horizontal after a hit near the line, he regained balance and ran 63 yards to forge a 13-13 tie that he broke two minutes before halftime by cutting outside and racing 48. Fritschle's kick brought a 20-13 score.

Three plays the third quarter's sixth minute began the breakaway. On second-and-nine from Washington's 45, a scrambling Scheller was called for intentional grounding, backing the Titans to 4th-and-28 at their 36 because the 5-yard penalty was assessed from where the pass was thrown.

Next, Brad Thornton blocked Josh Sollman's punt and recovered at the 28. McCormick broke over the right side and scored,, Fritschle's kick bringing a 27-13 spread.

McCormick scored his fifth touchdown from a yard away after a 46-yard dash the fourth quarter's first play. Sophomore Dylan Ervin scored from three yards with five-plus minutes left.

Sollman, who returned to his 2008 all-state tight end position and caught 4 passes, took a toss and hit Aaron Scott with a 34-yard pass. Stefanich let senior lineman Dillen Friend, Josh Wildman and Vince Bowden carry on the final series.

"Our seniors," their coach said, "are a great group of young men."