New head coach brings over 20 years experience to Sandwich High football

For the first time since 2018, the Sandwich Middle High School football team will have a new coach at the helm.

Sandwich head coach Matt MacLean resigned in January to spend more time with his young daughter, Shay, and wife, Alex. He turned a struggling team into a 17-9 record holder over the last three seasons with two playoff appearances (Sandwich went 5-1 in the Fall II season in 2021) and a Cape & Islands League title.

Now, it’s time for Robert Lomp to continue those winning ways, but this is not his first rodeo, despite taking a break from coaching last season after 20 years.

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“I just missed coaching at this level, and Sandwich was close to where I lived," Lomp said. “I started thinking about it this past winter for the first time and Sandwich happened to open up sometime in January. I started researching a little bit, and I liked what I learned here, and it’s been a good fit.”

Before his one-year coaching intermission, he was the assistant coach for three years at Mass Maritime where he coached quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends.

Prior to that, he was the head coach at Wareham, where he led the Vikings to a 17-5 record.

Before leading the Vikings into battle, Lomp coached at Apponequet from 2001-2014, where the Lakers finished above .500 in all 14 of his seasons, won conference titles and went undefeated in 2008. Lomp finished his time with Apponequet with a career record of 131-44.

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Sandwich senior center Matt Bloom said he loved Coach MacLean, but Lomp is the next step for the Sandwich football program.

“Coach MacLean got us back from the poor spots we were in before, and got us into a more disciplined team,” Bloom said. “Coach Lomp is bringing us to the next level and he’s going to put our school on the map. I really like him so far.”

Next up for Lomp in his coaching journey is leading the Blue Knights into the battlefield.

“My one goal is to establish a system here that I want to put in, and we want to be a winning program in the playoff mix of Division 6 even in year one (coaching),” Lomp said.

Making the postseason will be different from years past as Sandwich will be in the South Shore League Large for the first time.

Lomp will have to face this new competition without all five of the Blue Knights Cape & Islands League all-stars (all seniors) from a season ago, which included MVP Brady Carroll. Carroll had an impact on both sides of the ball as a running back and defensive back.

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On offense, he finished with 1,521 rushing yards, 19 total TDs (16 rushing, 1 receiving, 2 passing). On the defensive side, he had two interceptions (one pick six), six pass break ups, and 68 total tackles.

“Brady was a great player when I saw some film on him,” Lomp said. “Obviously I didn’t get a chance to coach him, but when you lose a back like that, obviously it's a big void to fill. We will fill that with a committee of guys.”

One of those players to fill Carroll’s shoes on offense will be junior starting quarterback Adam Ferreira, who was a Cape & Islands all-star honorable mention last season. Lomp said Ferreira is a strong leader.

Ferreira has liked what he has seen from Lomp so far in practices with his energy and fast pace.

“All the practices are straight to the point. He knows what he’s talking about, and he loves what he’s talking about,” Ferreira said. “The competition is going to be greater than it has been in the past, but I truly believe with Lomp at the helm, we can really bring the fire to this league.”

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Although there are only five seniors on the team, Lomp said that the Blue Knights have strong leadership. One of those seniors is captain fullback and linebacker Jack Mulcahy, who Lomp said is adapting well and the coach expects a big year out of him.

The feeling is mutual for Mulcahy, who had high praise for his new head coach.

“He’s extremely organized. Every second we have in practice is planned all the way down to our first game. He’s ready to go and I think that gets us all going,” Mulcahy said.

The Blue Knights ended last season on a high note and are looking to carry that momentum over to the 2023 season. Sandwich beat Mashpee 22-20 on Thanksgiving Day, making it the first time in two decades that they won consecutive Thanksgiving games against the Falcons.

“We just have to play well as a team, and limit the mental mistakes. Just focus on the small things and play as a team,” senior tackle Ryan Gill said.

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Head coach: Robert Lomp

Last season record: 6-5

Sandwich Blue Knights 2023 football schedule

Week 1: Friday, Sept. 8 vs Cardinal Spellman, 6 p.m.

Week 2: Friday, Sept. 15 at Plymouth North, 6 p.m.

Week 3: Saturday, Sept. 23 vs Nantucket, 1:30 p.m.

Week 4: Friday, Sept. 29 at Middleborough, 7 p.m.

Week 5: Friday, Oct. 6, vs Abington, 6 p.m.

Week 6: Friday, Oct. 13, at East Bridgewater, 7 p.m.

Week 7: Friday, Oct. 20, vs Norwell, 6 p.m.

Week 8: Friday, Oct. 27 at Rockland, 7 p.m.

Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, Nov. 23 at Mashpee, 10 a.m.

Key matchups

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The Blue Knights are in a new league, so they face a lot of new opponents. They will start the season against Cardinal Spellman, who made the MIAA Div. 6 state tourney semifinals. Rockland will be another tough opponent, as they made the semifinals as well in that bracket. The annual Thanksgiving Day matchup against Mashpee will be competitive as they won a nail biter 22-20 last season.

Top returning players

Adam Ferreira, QB, junior

Ryan Gill, T, senior

Jack Mulcahy, FB/LB, senior

Steven Trombly, T/MLB, senior

Tanner Dalpe, TE/S, senior

Owen McElroy, RB/CB, junior

Jack O’Brien, RB/S, junior

Evan Watts, OT, sophomore

James Niemiec, MLB/OG, sophomore

Lincoln Shinn, CB/DE, junior

Contact Courtney Jacobs at cjacobs@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @CJ_Journalist.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Sandwich football: Schedule, key games, top players for 2023 season