Georgia brother-sister duo make All-America game history

Ivory and Chance Gilbert were practicing to make high school football history years before they knew it would be possible.

The East Coweta football stars — Chance in tackle football and Ivory in flag football — became the first brother-sister duo to make the Under Armour Next All-America Game earlier this year. The Gilberts honed their talents against some of the nation’s top high school players in the first few days of 2026.

It was a special week for both siblings, who enjoyed hanging out at the team hotel and competing in All-American extracurriculars like go-karts and cornhole.

“I realized it’s a rare thing for both of your siblings to make All-American,” Chance said. “People think we’re twins, too.”

Ivory just finished her senior season of flag football, while Chance is a junior. The former was a four-year do-it-all standout for East Coweta, and the latter is a 4-star safety prospect expected to play for either Alabama, Clemson, Georgia or Georgia Tech in 2027.

Both siblings’ success stories in football go back to the same starting point. They first learned the game in their childhood backyard with their older brothers, Demetris and Markel.

But even when his older brothers didn’t want to play, Chance could come to Ivory.

“When he was little, he used to come to my room and beg me, ‘Ivory, come throw the football with me,’ and I was the main person he would come to just because the older ones, they would say no,” Ivory said. “So he would come to me, and I would throw the football with him.

“We’d just be in the backyard for, like, hours throwing the football.”

Ivory kept close to football as she grew up. She continued to play with her brothers and attended their games.

So when Ivory could play flag football her freshman year, she jumped at the opportunity.

“I was like, ‘Flag? I’ve been playing football my whole life, I can do flag now?’” Ivory said. “That was an amazing opportunity, and seeing it grow so much, too, I’m just like, ‘Dang, this is amazing.’

“Because honestly, as a girl seeing them play football, I was like, ‘I want to play football,’ so it was really amazing for me to do that.”

Ivory’s childhood backyard practices immediately paid off.

“Not to be cocky or nothing, but I was just one of the best out there just because I grew up with them,” Ivory said. “I looked around, and some of these girls (were starting football) as freshmen, and I started at such a young age.”

Ivory quickly began shining in games, too, and her brothers got to cheer for her for the first time. Chance figured he made it to all of his sister’s games last season.

“After practice, I would go to her games and watch because I knew she was going to dominate, and it was interesting to watch,” Chance said.

Both siblings were quickly becoming local stars. While Ivory was proving to be a freshman standout, Chance was making a strong impression as an eighth grader.

East Coweta football coach John Small remembered one particular moment from Chance’s eighth grade season. Chance’s team was trailing by five points in the championship, and Chance was back to return a punt on what Small figured would be the game’s final play.

“They punted the ball, and (Chance) caught the ball at about the 45-yard line and just stood there with the ball for what seemed like an eternity,” Small said. “He just waited for everybody to come down, and then he just takes off, makes two moves and he goes 45 yards to the house in about two seconds.

“Then he gives the ball right back to the referee and goes about his business.”

Ivory and Chance’s success created a new dynamic off the field. The Gilberts were often mentioned in the same sentences, almost like twins.

“We were both in each other’s shadow,” Ivory said. “When they thought of me, they would think of him, and when they thought of him, they would think of me.”

People even wanted the Gilberts to share a jersey number, but Chance chose No. 23 while Ivory wore No. 10.

Though both siblings enjoyed the dynamic, they also wanted to establish themselves individually. Ivory remembered having to remind people she wasn’t her brother.

“Sometimes, they would call me Chance, and I’m just like, ‘I’m not Chance,’” Ivory said. “So it was just more of me speaking up for myself more.”

East Coweta flag football coach Resty Beadles saw Ivory speak up on the field, too. An injury sidelined her for most of her senior season, but that didn’t stop her from lifting her team.

Beadles didn’t have his best athlete on the field, but he still had her help as a coach and vocal leader.

“She was still there with good spirits, picking everybody up, still had that little giggle. Showing up, putting her jersey on during the game,” he said. “She would take pictures, she would just be that coach on the sidelines, just that character that you’re looking for. That A-1 character.”

Chance, in classic younger-brother fashion, said he enjoyed sharing his sister’s spotlight and shadow.

“I think it’s cool because she’s a girl and she’s competing with me doing all these athletic things just like I am,” Chance said.

The Gilberts know life will look different after Ivory graduates in May, but they don’t expect their dynamic to change. Ivory doesn’t know what next year will look like yet — she’s considering two paths that chase very different passions.

Ivory could go to a traditional college with a potential athletic career, or she could go to a technical college and pursue another dream: owning a body shop.

“I love cars. I love the design of them, and I’m really picky about the design,” Ivory said. “So specifically, I’m going for body work, learning how to design cars.

“When I think of cars, I think of so much joy. I can see this design with that, or that would be cool if it had this or that, so that would be amazing to do.”

Chance is focused on playing college football, but he’s also already considering how his career can help Ivory.