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XTRA: Pelletier excelling at Lehigh

How well has Lehigh wide receiver Troy Pelletier played this season? Well enough to be added to the Walter Payton Award watch list earlier this month. 

The Payton Award is given annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Pelletier, a Deerfield resident, enters Saturday’s FCS playoff game against UNH (2 p.m./ESPN3) with 88 receptions for 1,140 yards and 11 touchdowns. His 1,140 receiving yards rank seventh among FCS players. He was named to the Patriot League’s First Team on Tuesday.

“Pretty cool to be on the list, but it’s a tough award to win,” Pelletier said. “Probably even harder at my position.”

Pelletier, a Manchester Central graduate, said he was excited when he learned he would be headed to his home state for the postseason.

“Trevor (UNH quarterback Trevor Knight) and I have been talking all season,” Pelletier said. “We texted each other as soon as we found out about the matchup. I know (offensive lineman) Jake Kennedy, and of course Lauderdale (offensive lineman Andrew Lauderdale).

“Being from Deerfield I’ll have a lot of friends and family at the game Saturday.”

Lehigh (9-2) lost its first two games this season, but hasn’t lost since then. The Mountain Hawks won the Patriot League championship and are averaging 533.8 yards and 44.8 points per game during their current nine-game winning streak.

Pelletier played both basketball and football at Central, but chose to play only football during his post-graduate year at Bridgton (Maine) Academy. He said UNH was high on the list on schools he wanted to attend, but the Wildcats didn’t make a scholarship offer.

“He was big, strong, physical (in high school),” Central coach Ryan Ray said. “Ran good routes. Hard-worker. If there was anything keeping him from getting offers coming out of Central maybe it was his speed. After a year at Bridgton Academy he took his game to another level.

“We liked him a lot,” said UNH assistant coach John Lyons. “In know there was an academic situation, and that’s probably why he went to Bridgton. Terrific athlete. I think a lot of people probably underrated him.”

Pelletier was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award (top freshman at the FCS level) after his first season at Lehigh. He had 78 receptions during his sophomore season, and enters Saturday’s game fourth all-time among Lehigh players in receptions (215) and receiving yards (2,786).

“I was definitely pretty confident in my ability (entering college),” Pelletier said. “I knew I could do it. I just needed an opportunity.”

Pelletier, the only New Hampshire native on the Lehigh roster, has benefitted from playing in an offense led by senior quarterback Nick Shafnisky, who was named the Patriot League’s Offensive Player of the Year this season. Despite missing time with an ankle injury, Shafnisky has completed 181 of 285 pass for 2,448 yards and 20 touchdowns this season. He’s been intercepted five times. He’s also run for 302 yards and 10 TDs.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a pretty good offense,” Pelleteir said.” Having good players around me helps. Everything worked out for the best.”

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