MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Fire engines and police vehicles with lights spinning directed their bus to the Helena Airport Wednesday morning. Upon arrival, friends, fans and family greeted them in the waiting area before joining them on the charter flight or wishing them luck on their latest endeavor.

As they neared the screening area, awaiting departure, the Carroll College coaches rallied their troops for one last cheer.

The football players, resplendent in their dark suits and nicest leather shoes, entertained the crowd with their fight song, "When the Saints Go Marching In."

It took nearly two hours for them to board the plane, taxi the runway and take off.

But, when the jet engines roared and their backs were pushed into the seats, the Saints led a clap and all the passengers joined in. It started off slow and picked up speed, and when the front tires lifted, a few yells exploded as though junior Zach Thiry had just kicked off another game.

Trips to the NAIA national championship are always flavorful with the Saints. On Saturday they will face off with No. 1-ranked Sioux Falls (S.D.) in their fifth national title game in six years at Jim Carroll Stadium in Savannah, Tenn.

"It's always really exciting for us. I think you never get used to it," said Saints senior free safety Cody Zimmerman, now on his third trip to the national title game. "It's something you look forward to once you get to the playoffs."

It's an event a number of Saints fans were able to experience with their favorite team. Senior safety T.J. Lehman's mother, Diane, and father, Ed, sat 11 rows behind him on the flight; his fiancee, Lindsey Somers, a few feet to their right. It's the third time they have have all joined him on the three-hour plane trip. T.J. never complains about having his parents and soon-to-be wife around.

"He's used to it, I definitely try to make every moment count," Diane said.

She has tried to make it to every event in his life after being diagnosed with breast cancer when he was in kindergarten. She fought it off and has been in the clear for 16 years now. But that hasn't changed her commitment to him.

"They've never missed a game or anything I've done," he said.

That includes piano recitals when he was younger to national championship games.

"Now that they're getting older it's nice to have them around," he said.

The family opted for the early flight with the team on Wednesday. Another plane load arrives today.

"The reason we like to be on this flight, is we like to be closest to the team," Diane said. "We get to see the things that are behind the scenes." Like Travis Browne's introduction to plane flight.

The junior receiver out of Stevensville had never been on an airplane before. The team decided to welcome him by having a flight attendant bring him a coloring book, crayons and barf bag.

"It just never happened really for me," Browne said. "I never got the chance to fly."

Family trips to the west coast were always done in vehicles. Even though it was his first time, Browne wasn't worried.

"I was excited about it, everybody was trying to joke around and tell me it was all horrible, I knew it was going to be fine," he said.

Passengers on the flight were relaxed through the small bits of turbulence. Most spent their time chit-chatting with friends and small talk generally surrounded the recent resignation of former Carroll great and Atlanta Falcons coach, Bobby Petrino, Jr.

Tiny television sets in the back of headrests plastered the new Arkansas coach's face across the aisles. A few long-time friends dismissed the reports that called him a vagabond always searching for a better spread. Others were simply surprised of his early NFL departure.

Most of the Carroll football players, however, closed their eyes for even a few minutes of sleep, catching up on rest and preparing for the days ahead. Zach Richardson had little time for shut-eye. The junior strong safety was busy burying his nose in an organic chemistry book. Junior tight end Marshall McEwen, was doing much of the same. When the student-athletes arrive back in Helena, it will be right in time for finals week.

"When I get to (Savannah), all I'm going to think about is football," Richardson said.

When the team finally arrived in Memphis, the temperature was in the 50s. They were greeted by airport personnel, a few NAIA officials and a Tennessee state trooper. The trooper couldn't help but remark about the recent weather in the southern states, which included a bitter wind and light drizzle beginning to turn into a downpour. "Well, y'all brought the weather with you, didn't you?" he said with a friendly chuckle.

"I was about to say 'this is shorts weather,' " said sophomore quarterback Gary Wagner.