Kansas Pregame 6-Man Top 6: Bailey Sides

In mid-December, Kansas Pregame contacted 6-Man football coaches in an effort to name a second annual Top 6 team of seniors for 6-Man football in Kansas.

This is the fourth of six individual player profiles highlighting the Top 6 selections released in no particular order:

Bailey Sides, RB/LB/K, 6-0, 155, Northern Valley

Northern Valley was among the best teams in 6-Man this past season, with their three losses coming to the top three teams at season’s end - Natoma, Cunningham and Ashland.

A big part of the team’s 7-3 fourth place finish at the Wild West Bowl tournament  was senior Bailey Sides. The multi-faceted talent led his team in scoring with 160 total points - coming from 16 touchdowns, 29 extra points, a safety and a field goal. He also rushed for 944 yards on the season after switching from end at the start of the year.

“He played in the backfield for us this year and showed great patience following his blockers,” head coach Marvin Gebhard said. “He also was our kicker this year and when he was not playing, we realized how valuable he was in that role for us.”

Despite it being a new position for him, Sides past experience on the field taught him the patience necessary to be a productive running back.

“Throughout high school sports I learned that I had to anticipate what was going to happen during the play because I was never the fastest or strongest,” Sides said. “So if I wanted to make the play I had to be in the right spot at the right time. This year was my first year playing running back so it was a new experience for me, but I trusted my blockers and trust that they were going to be there to open up a hole for me.”

Gebhard went on to praise Sides for his ability on the other side of the ball as well.

“On defense, Bailey played linebacker for us and he was a smart player. He did a great job of anticipating what the offense was going to do.”  

Sides' efforts helped Northern Valley to their best season since 2018 and their first winning season in their two years as a 6-Man program. The senior’s favorite aspect of it all, however, was simply being there for his teammates.

“My favorite part of football is being a team leader for my friends and peers,” Sides said. 

After high school, Sides plans to attend Kansas State-Polytechnic in Salina to become a pilot.