During the third quarter of the Commanders' Sunday Night Football game against the Denver Broncos, Clarksburg High School's girls' flag team was given a moment of celebration down on the field for the squad's recent state championship title.
Little did head coach K.C. Landefeld know, there was another recognition moment planned. After a camera close-up of the team on the broadcast and in-bowl video highlights from Coyotes' recent state championship win, Landefeld was announced as the Commanders' 2025 Flag Coach of the Year.
"I was really blown away by it all," Landefeld said. "And it was great to be surrounded by the kids and other coaches for it because I wouldn't be there if it wasn't for all those people."
Landefeld's Coach of the Year win comes on the heels of what's been a historic two years for the Montgomery County Public School in the emerging sport. The 2024 season was the first official varsity year of girls' flag in the county. The Coyotes lost their first game that year but have won every game since. They won 16 straight games in 2024 on their way to the state title and bested their own performance in 2025 by going undefeated. An educator of 34 years who "has high expectations but leads with a calm demeanor" in the words of his peers, Landefeld is building a girls' flag powerhouse atClarksburg.
For decades, Landefeld's main involvement with girls' high school sports was on the volleyball court. When he heard that varsity girls' flag was getting started in Montgomery County Public Schools, the longtime coach made it known that he'd be interested in heading up Clarksburg's program. The sport of flag football was exciting to him.
"When this opportunity came up, I just absolutely jumped at it," Landefeld said.
Student athletes with a range of sport backgrounds and varying familiarity with girls' flag came to form Clarksburg's inaugural girls' flag team. Landefeld, alongside his "incredibly dedicated assistant coaches," helped turn the team into a dominant force. He instilled the basics in digestible ways. He fostered a sisterhood by running team-building activities, and he made sure his players felt ready for every matchup.
"We are always prepared. He watches film and knows exactly how to get us ready for every opponent, which gives us huge confidence going into games," senior Alex Bauer said.
A 14-13 overtime loss in the team's opener was a mere blip on the Coyotes' trailblazing journey to winning Maryland's first-ever girls' flag title in 2024. The championship put a target on the back of the Coyotes heading into 2025. A sophomore slump might have been predicted by some. That, however, was never a concern for Landefeld.
"I think the idea that we had a target on our back, the team took it as a challenge. I don't ever see them being in a position where they are not going to put 110% out on the field," Landefeld said. "I mean, it really is an amazing group of competitors. I attribute us hitting the ground running with them loving the game and being competitors."
To make sure the team was leveling up in Year 2, Landefeld added some new layers to the offense and defense. Additionally, the coach said they got "lucky" with a strong group of freshmen. These new players felt they were able to more easily adjust to the environment because of how Landefeld communicated the standard.
"Coming in this year as a freshman on a state championship team, Coach Landefeld explained the expectations on how to be one of the best and reminded us every day to give it our all if we wanted to make history again," freshman Jhene Palmer said.
The hard work is essential to winning. However, what's key in Landefeld's program is that he doesn't lose sight of the fact that these kids also should be having fun. Landefeld and the staff, which includes Richard Nolan, Teak Bassett, Lauren Dommel and Karen Taylor, know how to find the "perfect balance."
"The best part is the atmosphere, especially at practice," the wide receiver and safety said. "We work hard and know we have to perform, but Coach also makes sure we still enjoy the process and our time together as a team. You can just tell that he genuinely wants the absolute best for us, both in our sport and in life."
That daily atmosphere laid the foundation for the Coyotes making history again in 2025. Outscoring their opponents 350-64 throughout the season, Clarksburg became the first girls' flag team to win back-to-back Maryland state championships.
Many of the girls went right into basketball days after lifting that hardware. Coach Landefeld will soon be getting ready for volleyball in the spring. The run for the three-peat is not yet on Landefeld's mind. For now, he's enjoying the "unique experience" of being at the start of a movement.
"This has just been an incredible new chapter and special to be on the ground floor of something I see completely exploding. I think it's going to be nationwide, and I can't wait until bigtime colleges start picking it up and you start seeing scholarship opportunities there," he said. "It's just a great sport. You couldn't ask for anything better than to get kind of get towards the end of your career and be part of something that's so cool and new."
