As the sun burst over the mountains in the background of a 2013 Placer United Soccer Club U11 match, a kid from Antelope, California, displayed his talent, drive and commitment on the pitch.

With time winding down and the game tied, the Placer keeper heaved the ball up the left wing. The throw took three massive hops off the field. Number 18 waited for his moment and sent a hellacious one-touch strike that looped over the opposing keeper’s hands and into the top left corner of the goal, causing the crowd to erupt in pure elation.

This player is now Sacramento State junior forward Donovan Sessoms.

“Looking back, he was always a tiny, little dude, uniform always seemed to swallow him up,” Sessoms’ father, Anthony Sessoms, said. “Nonetheless, he was always feisty, gritty and willing to get after it, never afraid to challenge no matter the size of his opponent. It is always a proud dad moment to witness.”

Sessoms started his competitive soccer journey playing for the Sacramento Republic FC, while his parents juggled the stress and sacrifice of working and taking care of their five children.

“With five children, it wasn’t always easy, but we knew we had to find a way to give him access to good soccer programs. For many years, we made it work,” Sessoms’ mother, Sariah Agers-Sessoms, said. “Our approach was always to divide and conquer. As long as our kids kept good grades, good attitudes and gave good effort, the decision to support them was never in question.”

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The Sessoms family juggled their hectic lifestyle while Anthony Sessoms was getting through nursing school. After graduating, he found work for the Department of Veterans Affairs in the greater Sacramento area and in the bay.

Anthony Sessoms now lives in San Francisco, while Sariah Agers-Sessoms lives in Tennessee to balance the cost of living for their five children.

“There were some weekends where we had a tournament,” Sessoms said. “So we’re leaving that house at 4 a.m. and [Anthony Sessoms’] getting home from work at 8 p.m. [He] can’t just get home, especially as a dad, he’s got to say hi to everyone. So he’s going to bed, probably like 12 a.m. and then waking up at 4 a.m.”

Sessoms’ collegiate career began with him committing to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for the 2021-22 season, where he saw little playing time as head injuries took a toll.

“I was sitting on a couch with a concussion,” Sessoms said. “I was out for like seven months.”

Sessoms sat in the transfer portal after the 2022 season for another seven months due to his injuries and lack of production in the limited amount of playing time that he had. With his back against the wall, he chose to come back home and play with his long-time Sac Republic friends: Fernando Venegas, Gio Ceja and Jonathan Dadzie at Sac State.

“Donnie and I have a close friendship relationship because we went to the same high school, played for the same club and we lived like five minutes from each other,” Venegas said. “Over the years of us just seeing each other at school and then later on at practice, it would just bring us closer.”

Sessoms got the right to work in his 2024 Sac State campaign, appearing in all 18 matches. He scored 10 goals and recorded 20 points in his breakout sophomore season, leading to him being selected to join the 2024 All-Big West Conference first team. Sessoms’ hard work and dedication also led him to be selected in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft by San Diego FC in the third round.

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CONGRATS to Hornet sophomore forward Donovan Sessoms, who was taken with the first pick of the third round (61st overall) in Friday’s @MLS SuperDraft by expansion side @sandiegofc! @BigWestSports pic.twitter.com/CiXGe0koMX

— Sacramento State Men’s Soccer (@SacStMSoccer) December 20, 2024

“I was in my house kicking it when I got drafted. I’ll be honest, I think I was playing Fortnite with someone,” Sessoms said.
 ”I mean, I had an idea of what teams would pick me up.”

Sessoms attended multiple training camps with San Diego FC before returning to Sac State to keep his remaining years of eligibility before he went onto the MLS. In his return for the 2025 season, Sessoms was named to join the 2025 All-Big West Conference second team, with two goals and three assists on the year.

“I think he’s one of our most explosive attacking players I’ve ever had here in my 36 years,” head coach Michael Linenberger said. “I hope he gets his opportunity and is able to sign a contract and gets to live his dream of being a professional.”

The Hornets finished the 2025 season with a record of 2-12-4, a far cry from the previous year’s success of 6-10-2. Sessoms and the rest of the Hornets struggled to score, only recording 13 goals in their 18 matches.

“I think I came in expecting to score a bunch of goals, and I knew that most teams were gonna double team me,” Sessoms said. “So I would try and adapt to that and be able to beat two players, instead of just one. [It] might not be the smartest idea, but that was just my thought process.”

Through all the trials and tribulations of Sessoms’ journey, his family has never lost faith in the player that he is and the man that he has become.

“When he sets his mind to something, he finds a way to make it happen. He never stops working,” Sariah Agers-Sessoms said. “No matter what the future holds for him in soccer, one thing is undeniable: he loves God, loves his family and pours his heart into everything he does.”