Florala softball coach Pat Maddox said his girls have as good a shot as anybody to win some games at the Class 1A South Regional Tournament in Gulf Shores.

The tournament begins today, where the Lady Wildcats face Kinston at 8 a.m. in the first round of the winner’s bracket.

FHS has played the Lady Bulldogs twice this season and both contests were close.

“The worst case scenario is that we lose that first game and then I can see us getting to the fourth round (of the loser’s bracket) from there,” he said.

Maddox said he wants the girls to represent Covington County well in Gulf Shores.

“We want to represent Florala as well,” he said. “We feel like we have something to prove — that we can play ball with anybody.”

The Lady Wildcats enter the tournament with a 19-19 record.

This year’s regional tournament format is different from previous years.

The winner of the winner’s bracket and the winner of the loser’s bracket advance to the state tournament next week. There will be no regional championship.

Maddox said the new format has its advantages and disadvantages.

“In some ways it’s fair and in some ways it’s not,” he said. “The goal is to get to Montgomery.”