Hawaii Tribune-Herald
As he stood in the parking lot last July at Hilo Bayfront and looked at an empty soccer field for the island’s premier American Youth Soccer Organization tournament, Maurice Miranda could only shake his head.
Most egregious to Miranda, state AYSO director and Honokaa High coach, was the fact that Maui, with one entrant, represented better than East Hawaii boys teams in the oldest division.
One year later, the efforts of Troy Keolanui, Miranda and others will be evident with eight teams entered in the under-19 division for a renaissance edition of the annual Big Island Candies AYSO Volcano International Soccer Tournament, which begins Friday.