CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 SPORTS) -- Longtime Saint Anne's-Belfield football coach John Blake jumped on Zoom Monday afternoon, eager to talk about his program's return to 11-on-11 football this fall.

"Everyone that I've spoken to is just happy as they can be," Blake said. "We're all looking forward to it."

The Saints last played a full 11-man schedule in 2016. They added a few 8-on-8 games in 2017, then spent the past two years competing in the 8-man VISFL. In both seasons, STAB reached the league championship before losing to Covenant.

"We've come a long way from four years ago," Blake said. "We've got some more kids involved, and we have a JV team, so that's helping."

"I've had a lot of conversations with former players over the past few years, and I think we're all just really happy to get to this point," Blake added. "What we've done the past few years has been done out of necessity, I think. But we made the most of it. And obviously, getting to this spot, I think has been a challenge. But we're here, and we're looking forward to moving forward."

STAB will play as an independent in 2020 -- provided there is a prep football season. Blake said the current schedule includes some of the Saints' old rivals, like Blue Ridge and North Cross, plus games against Fork Union, Trinity Episcopal and St. Christopher's.

Blake described himself as "anxious" to get back on the practice field with his team -- a feeling that's been compounded by the past few months of social distancing, prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. Blake also believes the Saints could benefit on the field from playing 8-on-8 the past few seasons.

"It's interesting because the eight-man game is so offensive-minded, and once you kind of figure out how to play any kind of defense in it, you can compete," he said. "So I think going back to 11-man with some of the things we learned on how to play defense in eight-man, to be quite honest with you, will help us."