From the outside looking in, one might be tempted to say that the recently concluded wrestling season was a bit of a let down for Poway High School.

After all, the Titans — who boast one of the state’s top programs year after year and were the defending state champions this season — finished in fifth place overall and qualified eight grapplers for high school wrestling’s top tourney.

Poway ended up with 93.5 team points, good enough for fifth place behind Bakersfield (126 points), Selma (113), Clovis (97) and Lemoore (94).

But, Poway Coach Wayne Branstetter notes, those people just don’t understand what it takes to get to the state championship, much the less medal when squaring off against 39 of the top grapplers in the state. Awards are given to the top eight finishers in each weight division.

“I think we definitely over achieved, or at least reached our goals and expectations,” Branstetter said. “There’s always going to be highs and lows in competition, and we had more highs than lows this year.”

Branstetter said an individual title in California, particularly, is difficult to achieve, since it’s the only state that brings together wrestlers from all divisions in the same brackets.

“I’ve been going there for 37 years,” Branstetter said. “It’s very difficult to become a state medalist. I understand what it takes and I never take that for granted.”

Individually, Victor Lopez (103 pounds) finished second. Gabe Brown (119) finished third; and Ian Roy (160) finished seventh.

Rancho Bernardo’s Jonathan Beck finished eighth at 171 pounds.

Branstetter said Lopez’s accomplishment was particularly noteworthy, since the Masters champion is also a freshman.

“I don’t even think he realizes what he did,” Branstetter said. “For a freshman to place in the state tournament, let alone be a finalist, it was quite an accomplishment.”

Also noteworthy was the victory of senior Gabe Brown, who last year had to sit out the final tournaments because he couldn’t make his weight.

This year he wrestled tough, and came back after through the consolation rounds losing in the semifinals to get third.

“It was a beautiful finish for him,” Branstetter said. “What a difference a year makes, he went from the dog house to the penthouse.”

Meanwhile, after decompressing and reflecting on the past, Branstetter said the Titans will start hitting the mat again.

“I’ll be back (next year),” he said.