CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — When the engines roared and the the Boeing 757 pushed passengers into the back of their seats, the kickoff of the Carroll College Saints championship trip truly began.

Senior linebacker Brandon Day began clapping, hooting and hollering as the plane picked up speed to the end of the runway.

The crowd joined in, growing louder and clapping faster as the long wait finally came to an end.

Carroll was airborne.

Nearly six hours after the charter flight was expected to take off on Wednesday, the Saints, their fans and a handful of University of Montana supporters were on their way to the 2008 NAIA national championship in Rome, Ga., where Carroll College will face off with the University of Sioux Falls (S.D.) Saturday in a rematch of the 2007 title game.

The flight was delayed after the first airplane was stuck on the other side of the country because of an ice storm.

With the new, larger charter the 20 seniors on the squad were bumped up to first class where they stretched out their legs and relaxed as “The Dark Knight” showed on drop-down television screens. Receiver Brian Sloan was even able to prop his feet up and hook his heels into the pocket in front of him, sitting as if in a La-Z-Boy.

“This is my first time in first class,” said senior Garrett Garrels, who sat next to teammate Rick Young. “I think I almost have too much leg room.”

Both linebackers made the trip last year to Savannah, Tenn., the host site of the championship match for 13 years. The Saints are now heading to their sixth title game in seven years.

“I didn’t really know what to expect (last year), and it’s kind of the same thing here,” Garrels said. “(Georgia) is a new place.”

Day is about to experience his third championship game. He was with the Saints when they won in 2005 and 2007.

Sitting one row behind the first class, he traded his seat to allow an airplane captain to ride in comfort.

“It’s a captain for a captain,” he said as he watched a movie on his iPod Touch.

Also riding in coach was Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger.

Day began the take-off cheer last winter, one year after former player-turned-coach Jed Thomas used to lead it. He followed up Nick Milodragovich, who followed another and then another as the list goes on back to D.J. Dearcorn. Dearcorn suddenly began the tradition on a whim possibly eight years ago.

Nobody on the plane, not even head coach Mike Van Diest, could remember when it truly originated.

It was a fantastic sight, and a bit of a surprise for some of the fans on Wednesday.

Rich and Linda Stidman, diehard UM fans from Kalispell, decided to join the group from Carroll.

In true sports fashion, Rich entered the plane wearing a Grizzlies sweatshirt and Carroll College hat.

“Our intention is to go to the Griz game and then the Saints,” Linda said. “We want to take in two championship wins.”

The Grizzlies play the University of Richmond the night before in the NCAA FCS championship just over an hour away in Chattanooga, Tenn. Fans will be able to see Treasure State teams in two different national championships as they did in 2004.

Carroll athletic director Bruce Parker was even able to charter a bus to take fans from Rome to Chattanooga and back on Friday night.

For the Stidmans and more than 20 Saints, this is their first trip.

While no one is certain what awaits in Georgia, Day isn’t worried for the young players.

“They either know what we’re getting in to, or they’ll be pleasantly surprised,” he said.