BATON ROUGE - The Southern Lab Kittens are preparing to get back to the State Championship game this season.

Head coach Darrell Asberry says, "For us, it's either championship or bust. We don't get caught up in the wins and losses. You're either in the State Championship or you had a bad season."

The Kittens won their last state title in 2023. Last season, they finished with an 8-4 record and lost in the quarterfinals.

Looking to 2026, Southern Lab returns quality experience at key positions. While Dexter Ricard wasn't the starting quarterback to start the 2025 season, he stepped up for his team when Jerry Bottley was injured.

That experience prepared him for taking over this team this season. As an offense, Southern Lab returns five starters. They return seven starters on defense, and coach Asberry says he is very excited about the experience in the secondary.

Southern Lab will start their season at home against Belaire on Sept. 4.