Making The Case: Four Candidates Worthy of The 2026 Black Arrow Award

 Every season since 2012, Detroit City FC has given out the Black Arrow Award for the most valuable player of the club for that particular season. It a fan generated vote in honor of Detroit soccer legend Gil Heron, who was the first African American player to play in Great Britain when he wore the hoops of Celtic back in 1951 and is the father of poet/singer Gil Scott Heron. 

For your consideration I have selected four players who I think have made a significant impact on the club this season. Voting will take place in the next few weeks as the regular season approaches its climax on October 24 with a road trip to Louisville City. Le Rouge’s final home regular season match of this year is on October 10 against Rhode Island FC.

First we have the obvious and high output choice, striker Darren Smith. Smith continued his legacy and his tendency for finishing by scoring a club leading 14 goals in all competitions this season, including tying an all time single match record by bagging five against Sporting Club Jacksonville in Detroit City’s first road victory since April 17 of 2025. The July 13 performance earned him a rare honor as he generated a perfect 10 on FotMob for his efforts. 

Second we have the man between the posts, Carlos Herrera. Herrera has been amongst leaders in clean sheets with 12 and has a save percentage of 75.4% which is also amongst the league leaders as well. He has also stopped 1 of 3 penalties awarded as well. Carlos’ consistent play has earned him the number one position on the depth chart ahead of teammates Carlos Saldaña and Tatenda Mkuruva. 

Haruki Yamazaki has been a phenomenal two way player for City throughout the season. When people say speed kills, all you need is to show a highlight reel of Yamazaki’s play during matches in 2026. His appearances have come from a bit of need as injuries put the defensive group at risk early on in the season. However he’s earned every single minute he has played thanks to his ability to transition and a tendency to get under opponents skin. His smile is only a distraction from his intense and aggressive style which has helped regain City’s defensive prowess. 

Lastly, we have Callum Montgomery. The former CPL standout has formed a bond at the center back position with captain Devon Amoo-Mensah and contributed to becoming the most formidable combination since Matt Lewis and Stephen Carroll. Callum has appeared in 2,034 minutes of play and has been a part of 210 defensive contributions in 2026. Also another key contributor to the club’s 12 clean sheets, which is second behind league leaders Tampa Bay. 

Voting for the award will be coming up soon and a winner should be be announced following the final regular season match against Rhode Island FC on October 10 at Keyworth Stadium. To paraphrase a former Detroit sports talk radio host Mark “The Man” Wilson, vote early and often just like a Hamtramck election.