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MORGANTOWN -West Virginia University's leading tackler is a huge Brooke football fan.

Pat Lazear didn't just randomly pick a West Virginia high school to follow - though if he had, the top-rated Class AAA team in the state would have been as good a choice as any.

As has been documented, his family tree is planted in Brooke County, though he arrived in Morgantown via a Maryland high school.

Pat's already been to a couple of Bruins' games this season to watch his cousin Ryan, Brooke's running back and linebacker who will most certainly draw Kennedy Award votes after the season, along with teammate Cotey Wallace.

Ryan has a reputation as one of the hardest-running ballcarriers in the state, which leads Pat to draw him a pretty favorable comparison to someone he played against last season inside the Big East.

''He reminds me of Brock Bolen from Louisville,'' Pat said Tuesday night while wearing a green and gold t-shirt. ''I think he runs like him. He doesn't go down easy.''

Bolen was a fullback for the Cardinals who got a free-agent look with the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this year.

Clearly, these cousins are closer than Bo and Luke Duke.

''When I can see his games, I go, and when he can see my games, he comes,'' Pat said. ''We text each other, talk on the phone a little bit.''

Pat is the guy who turns the lights off in the weightroom at WVU.

Ryan does it at Brooke.

''That's just how Ryan lives his life,'' Pat said. ''He's a real straight-edge person. He wants to succeed. He works out as hard as he can, he probably practices as hard as he can. He wants to run as hard as he can every play.''

Though Brooke still has two regular-season games left - Friday night at John Marshall and next week at Musselman - Ryan is already a 1,000-yard rusher. He's carried the ball 129 times for 1,001 yards and 13 touchdowns. On defense, he's just as ferocious, bringing to mind images of, well, Pat.

They both wear No. 31, just as Ryan's father Jim did at West Liberty back in the mid '80s.

''Jim started it,'' Pat said. ''I followed him with it. He was a pretty good defensive end. I wanted to carry on his legacy a little bit, and I think Ryan wanted to do the same with me and him.''

Pat, who believe it or not has already played 33 games at WVU, has started every game this season for the Mountaineers. His 43 tackles are tops on the team, his 24 solo tackles are tied with Brandon Hogan for the team lead.

He's far removed from the 2008 season opener against Villanova, when defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel didn't like what he saw during the first three snaps. Pat, playing in place of the injured Reed Williams, was quickly yanked.

''I definitely know what I'm doing so much better than last year,'' Pat said. ''Now I can better prepare for a team and understand what Coach Casteel is telling me. And do my best to execute.

''With our defense, somebody is supposed to make a play. And I'm happy when I'm the one that makes it.''

If their respective teams don't lose another game - and that's probably not a fair ''if'' - Dec. 5 could be a huge day for the Lazears.

That's when Ryan would be leading his unbeaten Bruins into the state title game at noon at Wheeling Island Stadium.

''If they keep improving, they might be able to win it,'' Pat said.

Either way, Pat won't be in attendance. He'll be in Piscataway, N.J., preparing to play Rutgers.

With a Big East title on the line - again, assuming the Mountaineers don't lose - that game, which is still listed as TBA, would most certainly be in prime time.

That means Ryan would have to put off his celebration for a few hours. That's OK because the party would be twice as big.

Jim Elliott can be reached via e-mail at: elliott@theintelligencer.net