Sticking his fingers into the anus of a teammate during wrestling practice was not so Buchanan High School wrestler Preston Hill could get leverage during a move called the “butt drag,” but intentional retribution against the freshman for standing up to Hill’s bullying, police claim. Teenagers, rectums, and sex crime all together now? Wonderful.
Hill, 17, has been expelled from the Clovis, California, high school and now faces molestation charges stemming from the July incident — which is ridiculous, his parents Kristin and Darren say, since the “butt drag” move is a legal wrestling move (ouch!) and one that his coaches taught him back in middle school.
That’s not what Ross Rice, the father of the alleged victim, tells the Fresno Bee. “Preston took it beyond a simple wrestling move. He crossed the line.” All because Rice’s son had the balls to confront Hill for being a bully. Now Rice’s son is being subjected to additional torment at school by Preston’s friends.
If prosecutors educate themselves about wrestling moves and determine the “butt drag” (or “checking the oil”) is a standard maneuver, does that mean Hill will be cleared? Not necessarily. Just because a move is “legal” doesn’t mean it cannot qualify as sexual assault. Intent will be a critical factor, though how prosecutors could ever show Hill did anything more than attempt to gain the upper hand during a match sounds pretty impossible.
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It’s difficult to identify who is the real victim here: The 14-year-old freshman, who had fingers put in his butt against his will, or Hill, who may have legitimately used a standard wrestling move during practice as he’d be taught to do, and now finds himself facing sex crime charges. (Wrestlers may agree to some pretty brutal stuff by hitting the mats, but sexual assault disguised as “just a wrestling move” is not one of them.) The outcome of this case, of course, shouldn’t deflect from the ongoing problem: the freshman felt threatened and bullied by Hill before the incident, and now fears for his safety after registering a complaint.
gaytravel
I used to wrestle in high school and while “checking the oil” isn’t necessarily illegal it is generally seen as a cheap shot. It doesn’t so much help you gain leverage as it distracts the other person. It wouldn’t surprise me if Hill was a big bully in school I never met anyone who did that who wasn’t a total ass. No pun intended.
reason
That is just filthy, and being taught that in junior high? Wrestling just went down a few more pegs in my book. Don’t wrestlers wear those tight suits? Did the kid actually put his hand in the other guys suit then…?
Cam
I’m sorry, but if coaches are teaching this move and the school says it’s legal, then yes, the charges will in fact be dropped unless the city and the school district wants a massive suit coming at them for not only instructing people how to molest others, but encouraging them to. That said, only complete douches did that move in wrestling, it was like “Accidentally” elbowing somebodys package.
Also, the other guys are lucky, his fingernails seem to be cut short. These things are important for a 2nd date…um, I mean a wrestling match.
hmmm
Wow, I just youtubed butt drag…..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWnVO33AK1w
HOT HOT & HOT
Chad
Expel him. He knew better.
Yes, it’s assault.
Instead of asking for money in damages, ask for those fucking “star athlete” medals, and then burn them.
Tony
According to the story, the boys are 14 and 17, respectively. Is this normal? Shouldn’t boys from the same age group or same grade level wrestle each other? Just seems odd to me.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
@Cam: “his fingernails seem to be cut short. These things are important for a 2nd date…um, I mean a wrestling match” You are clearly a disturbed individual! Thats ok I kinda like that in a guy :p
Sorry I started wrestling in grammar school (didn’t take me long to figger bestest way to gets my hands all ova other guys at an early age :p ) And that was not a sanctioned move by any stretch of the imagination (or rectum). This kid is either a bully or a kid who is struggling with putting on his Gay training wheels………
Mack Robertson
Sue the school district, and counter sue the people who made this stupid complaint against you. Schools today seem to protect the bully, and automatically take his/her side. They do this just so there won’t be bad publicity. Well, they’ve already got it. We’re behind you, and hope to God you get a huge settlement in your case. School districts should be there to help kids, not harm them for life. My guess is that your opponent was losing, and that’s why his parents sued you.
You have so many medals, you must be proud. We’re proud of you. We seriously hope you get a handsome settlement. Use it to go to Stanford. We’re alums, and hopefully your talent and grades will get you in.
gaytravel
@Tony: In wrestling you are grouped by weight class. If the 17 year old was in a lower weight class (look at the picture I’m guessing he doesn’t weigh a lot) then there is a good chance he would mostly wrestle with younger kids. The smallest class is for people under 103 pounds.
scribe.313
is it wrong that I really want to wrestle now?
reason
@Tony: In most sports once you get to high school age doesn’t matter.
Roger Rabbit
Wow, I was in wrestling (albeit a long time ago) and the butt drag was never taught or used. To me it seems like a form of hazing or harassment, which should NOT be allowed. And that’s one I’ve never seen on any Jackass episode.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
PS: That kids Mothers hair don’t would make every drag queen in the world absolutley drool…………. :p
Jeff K.
Yeah, I find it mind-boggling that such a move would be legal. Maybe grabbing the buttocks, but digging in there? No way.
Cassandra
“Hill, who may have legitimately used a standard wrestling move during practice as he’d be taught to do,”
So, he is unable to tell that forcibly penetrating someone against their will is wrong?
If young Mr. Hill cannot tell, all by his seventeen year old self, that this behavior is wrong – he should be registered as a sex offender.
It is just a matter of time before he’s shoving things in other people’s orifices without permission with legitimate excuses like ‘I paid for the movie and popcorn’.
Cam
@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS:
Oh My god……how did I miss that hair?
Bubba in TX
OK, after watching that YouTube clip (had to do my research, doncha know), it looks like this is an easy way to get traction on your opponent to flip him over. It’s like how it’s easier to open a drawer if you can get your fingers underneath the handle and grip it, putting your fingers in the open space (I tried to come up with a better example, but other than a bad old joke about carrying a woman like a six-pack I couldn’t do it–maybe someone can do better).
Ted B. (Charging Rhino)
Legal? …In what universe? And just because it’s “…allowed in the rules” still doesn’t excuse such behavior.
While I probably would stop short of criminalizing this incident, sounds like some in-school disciplinary action is called for. Even if at-minimum as “poor sportsmanship”. And if the lad was indeed taught this maneuver by a previous coach, that coach should be fired and sanctioned. Are choke-holds, eye-gouging, ear-cuffing and scrotum-busting now allowed “by the rules” too?
…A return to the Ancient Greek Pankrateon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankration
http://www.seabreeze.com.au/Img/Photos/Other/3457437.jpg (NSFW – classical nude wrestlers)
Cam
@Ted B. (Charging Rhino): said
“And just because it’s “…allowed in the rules” still doesn’t excuse such behavior.”
______________________
Actually it does. Boxing is legal in the ring, but if somebody walked up to somebody on the street and punched them in the face it’s an assault. If this is a leagal move that was taught by the school and has been used in matches, then the school is really getting into some trouble trying to kick the kid out for doing something that is not prohibited by their own sports rules. Now of course we don’t have video so we don’t know if the kid tried to go in up to the wrist or something way crazy like that.
brandon H
If they were of consenting age and being filmed by Chi Chi Larue it would be really hot.
But they aren’t so it isn’t. Assault, plain and simple.
Michael
I guess that’s Preston’s mom in the picture, and it’s uncanny how much she looks like a troll doll I had when I was a bit younger than Preston. Anyhow, times have changed. I had no idea high school wrestling was now a naked sport.
Devon
Well that sounds awf——–What the shit is going on on that woman’s head?
Mr. Enemabag Jones
Is it just me, or does that kid have some serious gayface going on?
SammySeattle
@Mack Robertson: The kid with all the medals in the picture is the one being charged with assault.
Dave
I’ve been wrestling since Iwas in middle school and I’m now 26 and still wrestle. I’m thinking you all think that the kids fingers went into the guys bare assed hole. This is not correct. The move is that you get part of your finger into the other guys hole THROUGH his clothes. This is a standard wrestling move and I’ve done it and had it done. I am gay and there is nothing sexual to it at all when you are wrestling. Also, trust me, straight guys have bad smelling holes and even through clothes your fingers stink after the match is over. It’s not pleasent or sexual.
mike
Thats called the Jiffy Lube and it is very much illegal in High School wrestling. Nevertheless, one of my freinds, who is a previous state champion at Heavyweight division, had to use it once when the ref was refusing to call an illegal choke hold.
HMMM
@Mr. Enemabag Jones: Not really, no. But he IS a cutiepie. I would’ve let him butt drag me ALL UP AND DOWN my bedroom back in high school.
That sure would’ve eased the dissonance during my questioning phase (and quickened its resolution too)!
Patrick
Maybe if you have to resort to that kind of move, wrestling isn’t really your sport. Also, why did he learn this in middle school? How/Why did his coach learn it? Who thought of it? And couldn’t they think of a better name than “butt drag?”
Ryan
Wrestling is already a gay sport, might as well finger Fu^k each other on the mat. I’ve watched a wrestling match in high school, the entire match seemed like one big sexual assault. What makes this move any different?
Pygar
All of the noise in these comments reminds me of a quote by Barbara Kruger.
“You construct intricate rituals which allow you to touch the skin of other men.”
comstock load
judging from his mom’s hair, fingers up the butt are a family tradition.
TommyOC
Former high school wrestler with a collection of medals of his own here. I’m going to approach this one maturely and hope you can too…
Sorry, fellas, but the “butt drag” is a traction reach for the inner cleft of one’s ass. Most of a man’s shanks are pretty smooth and ungrabbable when covered in lycra and sweat, so any flesh you can grab that you can use to manipulate an opponent’s position will be taken advantage of.
It’s the only between-the-legs handhold you can legally acquire without reaching further and getting a fistful of genitalia in the process… which, of course, is blatantly illegal. By wrapping yourself against an opponent’s ass, you’re maximizing your grabbing area while also using relatively soft flesh to help gain friction to prevent you losing your grasp.
Two notes on this kid’s story:
1) I don’t doubt very much that this kid was “probing” his opponent with the express intent of making him feel uncomfortable. A 17-year-old has a lot more experience on the mat and with experience comes a great deal of situational awareness – not to mention increased muscle mass due to years of training and ongoing puberty. With an entire arsenal of grapples and leverages at your disposal, a move like the “butt drag” falls more and more into the rudimentary skills you employ when you’re in serious trouble and start throwing the kitchen sink at your opponent.
2) Bullying and hazing in wrestling is pretty common and can be somewhat severe. I got a good taste of it in my day. I think it’s borne out of harsh training (5+ hours a day, 7 days a week), a culture of hyper-masculinity in a sport where participants are routinely accused of being gay, and an organizational structure where your place on the team (particularly as a starter/league rep) is contigent on you outperforming your teammates… and doing whatever you can to keep them from ever surpassing you.
Roger Rabbit
@TommyOC
So to clarify, a “butt drag” is grabbing the buttocks but NOT shoving a finger up the sphincter??
DR
This is nonsense.
Maybe the school needs to take action, but to just expel this kid AND send him into the criminal justice system where he can be labeled a sex offender? No way.
There are any number of disciplinary actions which the school could have taken, but what a surprise, zero tolerance strikes again, ruining someone’s life over something stupid.
Did this go too far based on what I read in the article? Perhaps. Does that justify expulsion and criminal charges? NO. I hope he beats these charges at trial; this zero tolerance nonsense needs to go, and it needs to go yesterday.
I am so over everyone playing the victim and demanding to be mollycoddled. Not every incident needs to go to the criminal justice system when dealing with kids.
Jaroslaw
Let’s go through this ONE more time. Guys are grabbing each other everywhere in wrestling. I didn’t do it as a sport, but we had to do everything in gym class. Sorry, but I agree with everyone who said these charges should be dropped. If you don’t like showing your dick in a tight outfit and having another male grab all over you (with as mentioned, the exception of grabbing your cock) then DO NOT WRESTLE.
And TommyOC I’m with you on the 17 y/o having more experience, but more muscle mass? Take a look at this kid. He is skinny.
ugh
Seriously, actually UP the ass? Like, inside?
I’m gobsmacked. Doe you push the singlet aside, or do you shove a fold of fabric in ahead of your fingers. I can’t even figure out how this works.
Silver
@Mr. Enemabag Jones: I don’t know about gay, but the first time I saw this story (on the Advocate) before I read it I said “Damn, he’s cute.” Guess it turns out that he’s kind of a jackass. Oh well.
hf2hvit
He should go to mediation with Eddie Long.
I swear, I have known more gay guys who were high school/college wrestlers than any other sport. Football is second.
hf2hvit
@Silver:
Most closet cases are.
Adam
Momma sure does look like a troll doll I saw years back. Love the “do.” LOL.
Preston, the wrestler with the “magic fingers,” is twink cute, but the fact that he had apparently been confronted by the younger boy earlier for bullying, cancels out anything positive.
a
Depends on the type of wrestling we are discussing.
In the type described in the OP, no, it is not.
PatrickB
In wrestling, there’s ample opportunity to physically harass a teammate… when I was in high school, the guys who I would have to wrestle-off for the starting spot threw a knee or an elbow when no one was looking all the time. Given the off-the-mat bullying dynamic, I wouldn’t be surprised that if this kid molested the other under the cover of a semi-legal move.
In the context of the group, the penetrator, although he actively does the homosexual act, questions the heterosexuality of the victim –not his own. The bully is secure in his normative standing; he merely demonstrates the perceived homosexuality of his victim.
Tyler
I thought we all learned from the Jerome Hunt case that the butt drag is a move where you put pressure on the rectum, but you do not insert fingers into the other person’s anus. I really do not see how that can be legal. Can you see all those medals the kid has? just imagine how many times he’s inserted his fingers into his opponents anus, that’s probably how he got so many. If I was the other guy, I would be more concerned with getting this kid’s fingers out of my ass rather than actually wrestling.
mikebuc
You guys are so silly. Or maybe you’re just debating this for fun. However let me throw in a little common sense. It would never be “legal” in any sport, especially one that children participate in, for one to insert any part of one’s body into any orifice of one’s opponent’s body. Now perhaps in wrestling there may be some ligitimate move that requires grabbing the buttocks region, but certainly not any type of penetration. That without any doubt would be sexual assault.
Giovannidude
I’m surprised the school expelled Preston. The first thing school administrators normally do is go into denial that something happened in their school, even if it did.
AnAdmirer
@hmmm: I checked out the video you cited on YouTube. I COULDN’T STOP LAUGHING! Some guys who commented were really offended that anyone would do such a thing, but I’ll bet THEY WANTED IT!
Too funny! You know they secretly, deep-down, desire having their oil checked!
meego
Good God! Some people have too much time on their hands!!! You’d think that with everything going on in the world that there would be more important things to deal with than kids sticking fingers up each other’s butts! Come on! Talk about making something out of nothing! Compared to some of the assault/molestation horror stories we’ve heard, this incident is nothing! Less than nothing!
customartist
There are many possibile explanations on this one.
Couldn’t the finger just have gotten there in the (sorry) heat of the moment and the sphincter just let loose for a split second?
This all reminds me of Turkish Oil Wrestling, wherein it is supposed to be illegal to “invade” the opposer, but I am quite sure thatt his happens all the time – some like it, some are too afraid to admit that it happened to them.
BHCA
This was clearly an act of bullying and assault. Little Preston attacks a younger boy that stood up to his bullying. So Preston had to show he was the dominate ape on the team.
There have been reports of younger boys getting their “oil checked” and hazing by the older boys.
It’s clear Preston did it intentionally.
Opposing Schools should start showing up at events wearing shirts that Say Old Doc Buchanan’s Butt Grab. Free Oil Check.
As for Preston’s mom I agree about her hair. She is defiantly bringing back the troll doll look.
Savannah Diamond wishes she could have that hair when working the corner of Belmont and Jackson.
:-p
Tyrone
Damn his mammy ugly.
Bob
The mother looks like Minnie Mouse goes blond!
Jimmy Fury
Wow… so nobody is going to question the validity of the younger kid’s accusations at all? Really folks? The word bully gets tossed out there and all logical thought, burden of proof, and objective judgment just goes out the window? These are sex offense charges we’re talking about. These accusations should absolutely not be taken at face value when this kids entire future is at stake.
For instance. If you know the first thing about wrestling you know either a) hill is relatively small or b) the freshman in question is big for his age. Wrestling, as was pointed out before, is grouped by size. This isn’t some hulking wall of a 17 year old beating on some frail waif of a freshman. These kids were matched due to similar sizes.
How intimidating is a 17 year old who gets paired up with 14 year olds? Or conversely, how likely is it for a 14 year old to be intimidated when he’s the size of a 17 year old? There’s a logical discrepancy in this bully-victim dynamic. And that’s just one of 30 questions that popped into my head while reading the article.
Bullying is a touchy subject I know but that doesn’t mean we can just take every kids word as the gospel truth. Especially once you get into the realm of another kid being labeled a sex offender for the rest of his life. Bullying claims, like any other hot-button issue, can be abused.
And @BHCA: does that make you feel better about yourself? Calling a 17 year old kid “little preston” and “ape” and making fun of his mom?
Now who’s being a bully?
Jaroslaw
Great points #52 especially noting name callers are bullies too!
Alto
Proving this beyond a reasonable doubt is simply impossible. Even if there were witnesses who said they thought they heard him expressing his intent beforehand or after high schools are notorious rumormills and rumor fights between groups of students can become vicious.
Xander
So, is it telegraphing their move when your opponent licks his finger?
Cam Freely
If he doesn’t get a couple of fingers in his butt how will he ever warm up to a real penis? Wrestling is just foreplay for points. Let the boys play.
TexRex96
The kid is clearly a jerk and a bully, and it should be obvious to anyone that is not a legal maneuver in any sport. So, why did the author of this piece not only suggest this could be legal, but also that Hill could be the victim? “It’s difficult to identify who is the real victim here”… Really?
Is this a right-wing blog? Whoever wrote this piece is being reckless and irresponsible.
Cody
@Chad: if you girls only knew the reas situation. obviously none of you are wrestlers so therefor in our eyes you are all little dry pussys and we are much superior to you. stop hating and go play tennis you girls!!
Cody
@TexRex96: it is legal you jack ass didnt you read the post! hahahaha dummy
Cody
My guess is all of you people on here got beat up and bullied around in school and now love to hate when your not in front of the person. I bet not one of you would say something in public because your cheerleading ass would get stomped!!!
Jeffree
@Cody:
Wrong. I was something of a bully myself for a couple years in middle school. After that phased passed, I made it my job to put bullies in their place. I’m strong, trained, fast & smart, so I’m not afraid to throw down if a situation calls for it.
Your stereotype of gay men seems very outdated. Maybe things were different back in the 70s or ’80s when you went to school.
Pablo Alarcon
Wrestling is so much fun! Anus penetrating, ‘nad feeling, crotch and pit sniffing and just the closeness of two male bodies makes it such a rewarding activity for male bonding.
pete
@Pablo Alarcon: OMG! Say it again, but slowly this time……
Ikari
@Cassandra: If dressing up in spandex suits and getting all hot and sweaty while grappling another man, desperately trying to pin him under you onto the floor is wrong I don’t want to be right…
Kam
If someone ever tried to butt drag me i’d break there face.
Jason
He is a sick fag….and cheater
Alex
So what ever happened? Although I don’t agree with the actions, to charge him with molestation is just absolutely ridiculous. I mean, he clearly, under any argument even being made by the freshman, he wasn’t attempting to molest him.
nebwrestler
iv been wrestling since i was three years old the wrestling move has been around longer then iv been alive and im 17. i feel if the freshman cant handel wrestling then get out the sport. this is no where near a assult its a wrestling move let the kid wrestle.
Joe
I think that it is absolutely ridiculous that 80% of the commenters of this article are non wrestlers. It is a legal move.
marc
years ago, I wrestled for IOWA, a name in wrestling history. No one was ever ‘allowed’ or ‘encouraged’ to insert their fingers into another man’s rectum. Ever. If wrestling has come to this sorry state, it is no longer wrestling, but as the 14 o put it, sexual assult. Given the peculiar positions wrestlers find themselves, discretion mut be excersized. This man deserves to be sued
KKS
@TommyOC: i hate this kind topic as there can NEVER BE a discussion based on objective facts.
you either get one side that are clearly homophobic and is willing to say anything to make the sports of wrestling look less gay (not that wrestling is gay in the first place, it is how people chose to view it that is the problem).
And @tommyOC and marc answer are typical examples of these kind of opinion.
now do not get me wrong, i have never wrestled before but i have seen “plenty” of wrestling matches where a wrestler is grabing their opponents “cock” blatantly for leverage. There is also this move (i do not know what it is called) that a wrestler is literally grabbing his opponents entire package ( not squeezing) to force his opponent into certain positions.
people like @tommyOC and marc are clearly homophobic, because if they are comfortable with their sexuality and non homosexual nature of the sports of wrestling, then there would be no need to twist and lie about the truth in order to make wrestling appear less gay in their opinion ( like i have said, there is nothing gay about wrestling at all).
then of course , there are other side who insist that wrestling somehow is sexual which is just complete rubbish too.
alanballs
Ok, so teenaged boys are being taught and encouraged by their coaches to stick their fingers up other boy’s butts (now I really regret not joining the wrestling team). But to whose agenda does this behavior belong? (Homophobes? Gay? Xtian terrorists? Alt-right? GOP? Dems?)