Chick-fil-A Operators To Watch Score of Saturday's Army-Navy Game

For the second consecutive year, two East County Chick-fil-A restaurant franchise operators will participate in a friendly wager for the Army vs. Navy college football game on Saturday, Dec. 8.

Kyle Steck, operator of the Chick-fil-A in Santee, 9418 Mission Gorge Road, and Rick Preciado, operator of Chick-fil-A Grossmont in La Mesa, 8200 Fletcher Parkway, La Mesa, have agreed to a friendly push-up competition based on the outcome of the game.

Steck is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, while Preciado is a graduate of the Army’s U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

The “losing” operator will visit the “winning” operator’s restaurant and perform push-ups inside the restaurant while wearing the winning team’s apparel. The number of push-ups will be determined by the total number of points scored in the game.

“This annual friendly wager is always a lot of fun, especially for our guests and the fans of both teams,” said Steck, a San Diego native who served on two ships during his active-duty career before retiring as a lieutenant in 2011.

Last year, when the Army Black Knights beat the Navy Midshipmen, 14-13, Steck visited Preciado’s Chick-fil-A restaurant and sang the winning team’s branch song, “The Army Goes Rolling Along.”

“I am hoping to be the victor for a second time, especially because Army is having a good season this year, but this ultimately is all about finding common ground in this annual rivalry game,” said Preciado, who served on active duty for five years, including time spent in South Korea, and retired as a captain. He also played one season on Army’s football team as a walk-on freshman punter.

This year’s game will be played at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field. The annual game, which began in 1890, is considered one of the most traditional and enduring rivalries in college football.

With an impressive 9-2 record, the Black Knights (9-2) have the offense to score a lot of points. It’s the first time since 1945-46 the Knights have won nine games in back-to-back seasons. The Midshipmen are 3-9 this season.